Rise of the Uchiha
by AlphaEph19
Summary: One decision can change the world, but it's not as easy to change it back again.  To his shame, Itachi saves his brother at the cost of losing his village.  Now the shinobi of Konoha are enslaved or scattered, hearts full of vengeance but bereft of hope.  As for Naruto, he is finally acknowledged... by Madara.  When the battle lines are drawn, how will he know where to stand?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Welcome to Rise of the Uchiha, a semi-dark and bittersweet epic tracing out the consequences of a single decision. Lives change, nations crumble, and loyalties are tested and forged in fire. If you're only finding this story now, be warned: I do not hesitate to change elements from the manga. In particular, my Madara is not a crazy bastard whose identity changes with the wind and whose only desire is to capture the man in the moon (or whatever). My Madara is a power-hungry, complex villain who despite his lust for power operates according to a set of ideals. Similarly, most characters will be different from canon in certain ways, though I hope that they stay true to their cores and are still familiar and engaging.

Many thanks to the betas who worked on this chapter, **DigitalTart **and **CalebKing**. I'm in the process of revising the remainder of the story, so if you're re-reading, be aware that there may be some significant changes in chapters that you've already read. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

"Take that!"

Sasuke's voice rang out clearly in the crisp spring air. His cheerful shout was followed by a jet of flame that shot out with surprising force, considering that its source was an eight-year old boy. The fire jutsu tore across the length of the field, leaving a trail of charred grass in its wake, and even reached the screen of trees on the far side of the clearing nearly twenty yards away. But the fire's intended target was already gone, having spun away split seconds after the flames materialized.

"Too slow," Itachi said, his voice devoid of inflection. The older Uchiha disappeared, only to materialize in front of Sasuke with kunai outstretched. Sasuke turned the blade aside with his own kunai, sliding back a few feet from the force of the blow. Itachi pressed the attack, and it was all Sasuke could do to keep the sharp metal from getting past his guard.

Though they were only training, Itachi never pulled his blows unless they were likely to impair Sasuke's movement. Sasuke already had more than a few scrapes and scars from today's training as reminders not to drop his guard.

After a flurry of desperate parries Sasuke began to feel his body adjusting to the greater speed. He jumped back, throwing a brace of shuriken to pin down his brother long enough to start his own attack. It would have had the intended effect, if Itachi hadn't winked out of existence like a popped soap bubble.

_Damn!_ Sasuke thought. _He caught me with his genjutsu again!_ He started to whirl around, but came to a halt when he felt the sharp sting of a kunai against his neck.

"You need to improve, Sasuke. You're still struggling with basic genjutsu." To most observers Itachi's voice would have sounded flat and emotionless, but after years of familiarity Sasuke's ears could detect the slight tone of annoyance.

Sasuke scowled. He was more than used to being beaten by Itachi, but the constant sense that he was failing to meet Itachi's expectations was beginning to rankle. Ever since fleeing Konoha over a year ago, his brother had begun training him with a vengeance. At first Sasuke had been overjoyed at such intense training with his idol, but in time, he began to think that Itachi was acting more and more like his father: that is to say, impossible to satisfy and displeased by everything Sasuke did.

"But I got the Burning Whirlwind jutsu to work today!" Sasuke said plaintively. _I am NOT whining! _He thought to himself. _Just… -debating._ "If we were back home, I'd be considered a full member of the Uchiha clan."

Itachi put his kunai away and faced his little brother, his eyes filling with the strange mixture of pain, anger and regret that always seemed to surface when Sasuke mentioned their clan. The topic was taboo, and Sasuke had still not managed to learn why they had been forced to flee. He thought it must have been something horrible to make his brother refuse to speak of it, but Sasuke couldn't help bringing up memories of the life he had been so abruptly forced to leave behind.

"We are no longer part of the Uchiha clan," Itachi reminded Sasuke sternly. It was an oft-repeated statement, as Sasuke was reluctant to give up his sense of belonging to what he had always known was a very important clan.

"And while your fire jutsu today was impressive- " Sasuke grinned at this admission, "you are nowhere near the level you need to be." Sasuke's grin withered faster than blades of grass before his newly acquired fire technique. "Your genjutsu recognition is almost non-existent, and you have yet to awaken your sharingan."

Sasuke was speechless for a moment, shocked at how unreasonable his brother was being. Itachi only looked at him, impassive. "But…" Sasuke stammered, "you're the only Uchiha who activated his sharingan this young! And I'm not you! Father made sure I knew that…" He regarded his shoes with the frustration that he didn't dare direct at his brother.

Itachi stretched out a hand and took hold of Sasuke's chin gently, lifting his face upward. "I know I'm asking a lot of you. But you must not fail. We are wanted men, on the run from Konoha and every hired blade the village can throw at us. I can't protect you forever, and I don't even know if I can protect you now. You must become stronger, and look out for yourself."

Sasuke jerked his head to the side to throw off his brother's hand, but his frustration dissipated, leaving only curiosity in its wake.

"But _why_ are we on the run?" he asked Itachi plaintively. "It's been over a year, and you still haven't told me why we had to leave!"

Itachi looked away until he mastered the emotions racing across his face. When he turned back to Sasuke, his face was its normal expressionless mask.

"You are too young, still. I will tell you when you awaken your sharingan. For now, just know that we were betrayed, and thrown out by our clan. And since our sparring seems to be over for the day, I will leave you with this one lesson: do not place your trust in anyone besides yourself. There is no one who will not betray you."

Sasuke shook his head violently in denial. "No! _You_ would never betray me, brother!"

Itachi's head turned slightly to the side, as if he was genuinely curious. "And why is that?"

"Because you love me!" Sasuke declared confidently.

Itachi reached out and ruffled Sasuke's dark hair with one hand. A smile stretched up the corners of his mouth, but his red eyes filled with a sorrow that made him seem older than his years.

"I love you more than anyone in the world, Sasuke, and that will never change. But it's best you learn this now, and never forget it. Sometimes it is easiest to betray those we love."

Sasuke knew from his experience that there were many things Itachi didn't tell him, and when Itachi clammed up it was best to ignore it and control one's curiosity. But later that night, after setting camp and eating a meager meal, Sasuke stared into the dwindling flames of the campfire, wondering who it was that his brother had betrayed.

oOoOo

Itachi listened to the soft flutter of Sasuke's breath in the silence. The sound reassured him, as it always did. Here at least was one life he'd managed to save.

But, though Sasuke was deep in sleep's embrace, Itachi was wide awake, and would likely stay that way for most of the night. When he was asleep he had no barriers against his guilt, no way to stop from reliving his memories over and over.

Not that staying conscious was truly that effective against the past.

_The Naka river burbled peacefully through the field, oblivious to the charged scene unfolding by its bank. Itachi stood as still as a stone, the three tomoe of his sharingan activating automatically. Facing him silently was the man who had flipped his world up-side-down, challenging everything he thought he had known. Itachi stared at the blood-red eye peering out from the single hole in the mask. The pupil was an intricate circle of black, inter-locking lines. They swirled rapidly, hinting at power long hidden from the world. Power that could be Itachi's._

"_It's funny," Madara declared in a deep, sinister voice. "Your ancestors cast me out. They called me tyrant. But now, they welcome me with open arms, and beg for my leadership. It took seventy years, but I suppose I should be grateful that the grandchildren proved to be wiser than their forefathers. Finally, the world will know the power of the Uchiha!"_

_Madara let out a laugh that turned the blood in Itachi's veins to ice._

"_You can be part of that, Itachi. You are the strongest of the Uchiha, and can be stronger still. I will make you my right hand, and honor you above all others. You know what you have to do. Give up your weakness, and take your place in history!"_

_Yes, Itachi knew what he had to do. He looked down sadly, taking in the sight of his best friend slumped unconscious at Madara's feet. Uchiha Shisui's eyes were open wide, staring vacantly at a nightmare that existed only in his mind. This was the power Madara was promising him. All he had to do was kill his friend._

_He was tempted. Oh, how he was tempted. Not to throw in with Madara, of course. He would sooner die. But the Mangekyou sharingan would give him the power to protect his beloved Konoha, from a threat greater than any it had faced since the attack on the village by the Kyuubi seven years ago._

_Itachi knew what would follow a coup d'état. It could mean war, on a scale not seen since the Third Shinobi War. Countless lives lost, of villagers whose only crime was living too close to shinobi who had abandoned their ideals for power. It was in Itachi's power to stop it. But at what cost? The death toll would have to start here, with his comrade-in-arms. _

_No. Not like this._

_Perhaps he would come to regret this decision. Perhaps it would doom Konoha and thousands of innocents to death and slavery. But if he went down this road his soul would be damned forever._

"_Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Itachi sent a volley of small fireballs shooting at Madara, knowing already that it was useless. Madara simply dissolved into thin air._

"_Fool…" his menacing whisper lingered in the air._

A year later, Madara's voice was as clear in Itachi's mind as it had been that day by the Nara river. "Fool…"

Itachi had been a fool. A fool not to do everything in his power to protect his village, no matter the cost. A fool not to anticipate how quickly Madara would act. And more than anything else, a fool to think he could trust anyone in his clan.

Itachi's dark thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, but he didn't make a sound. Sasuke was sleeping.

oOoOo

Konoha was the very picture of a peaceful, bustling little village in the bright afternoon light. The soft breeze carried the scents of roasting meat wafting through the streets, and everywhere children played amidst the stalls and shops lining the curbs. Here and there the throng parted respectfully for figures wearing the striking uniforms designating Konoha Military Policeman.

On the roof of Ichiraku's ramen shop, a trio of pigeons roosted peacefully. The largest of the three birds watched the scene through lidded eyes, and burbled contentedly. Suddenly, an excited shout rang through the air. The birds shot away from the roof in an explosion of feathers, just in time to avoid getting squashed by the heedless feet of a blond youth hurtling across the rooftops.

In the shop underneath the nest of the unfortunate pigeons, Old Man Teuchi turned to his daughter with a grin.

"Sounds like the fox child is giving them Uchiha some exercise. Good for him, I say!"

Ayame only spat on the polished wooden floor in response.

"May they all trip and break their damn necks!"

Teuchi eyed his daughter, understanding creasing his lined features. The Military Police of Konoha were almost universally despised by the villagers, albeit silently.

"Come now, dear. The young boy has been in here a few times, and he's not like the rest of those brutes. He's just a lonely little tyke."

Ayame's eyes flashed. "A lonely tyke who happens to be a demon! And the adopted child of the Usurper, to boot!"

Teuchi made hushing motions at the sound of the title that, if overheard by the wrong ears, could send his daughter straight to prison, or worse.

"He's no more a demon than you or I!" Teuchi said, his tone gaining more warmth than was customary for the good-spirited restaurant owner. "The Fourth, rest his soul, sealed the demon into Naruto when he was a baby, and it's only thanks to him that the Kyuubi isn't out and about as we speak, finishing what it started. And you can bet our new Hokage only adopted Naruto because of the power that little boy contains. That's a sad, loveless life for a boy to lead and no mistake."

Ayame snorted in exasperation at her father's soft heart, but chose not to continue the argument. She went to the back room, to see if the next batch of noodles was done drying.

Many blocks away Naruto jumped from rooftop to rooftop recklessly, oblivious to the fact that he was the subject of heated discussion. Two buckets of paint swung by his sides, slopping drips of red and blue at an alarming rate, but there was no longer any need to exercise care with his burden since his self-appointed mission was accomplished.

Naruto grinned with pride at the memory of his masterpiece. In the great square a statue of the town's ruler, Uchiha Madara, stood tall and imposing, measuring over a hundred feet in height. And at the very top was the mysterious Hokage's blank orange mask carved with exquisite detail, right down to the sharingan lurking in shadow behind the eyehole that was the only break in the mask's uniformity. Or it had been, until Naruto used his paint to create a blue mustache and goatee, and a red monocle around the eyehole with a chain draping off to the side.

In the months following his adoption by the imposing Madara, Naruto wouldn't have dared to do anything so disrespectful. But as time went by, and Naruto became more comfortable around his adoptive father, his boisterous nature resurfaced.

_Father._ Something everyone had, that most people took for granted. And all his life, Naruto had taken it for granted that he had no father, no mother, no family or friends of any kind. But then, miraculously, he had found someone not only willing to acknowledge him when no one else would, but who also was willing to take him into his family, who called Naruto "_my son_." And if Madara was distant at times, and unable to be together with Naruto very often, that was just the price you had to pay when your father was the Hokage. Naruto would have cheerfully jumped in front of a kunai for Madara, and would go to any lengths not to disappoint him.

Naruto treasured his memory of the day Madara had found him. Sometimes he found himself unable to believe where he was, and how his life had changed. Often he had to replay the memory, just to be sure it wasn't all a dream.

_In a playground next to the Konoha Ninja Academy, Naruto sat by himself on the swings. Far off on the other side of the yard, his classmates were gathered in a circle. From where Naruto sat, he could just hear their laughing voices and the sounds of fighting. _

_He couldn't go over there. When he tried to join their sparring, the other students shoved him away and called him names. He couldn't ask the teachers why; the looks they gave him were full of even more hatred than he encountered from his classmates. Naruto swung without purpose, staring listlessly ahead._

"_Hello there, young one." A deep voice cut across his sad reverie. Naruto looked up, wondering how someone had gotten so close without alerting him. He saw a tall man in a black cloak, whose face was entirely covered by an orange mask with a single hole over the right eye._

"_Hello," Naruto said politely. Why wasn't this man ignoring him like all the rest?_

"_I see that none of the other children want to play with you," the man said shrewdly. "Are you lonely?"_

_Naruto nodded once, hesitantly._

"_I also know what it means to be lonely, Naruto. How painful it is to be all on your own. But I want to be your friend. Come with me, and I can teach you things beyond your wildest dreams." He extended a gloved hand to the blond child._

_Naruto looked at the children sparring, and then back at the masked man. Without a word he put his small hand in the larger glove, and hopped off of the swing. They walked together away from the Academy, and Naruto didn't look back._

Of course, his new life wasn't perfect. Since Madara was such an important person, he was rarely able to spend time with Naruto. So Naruto started his own games, with the unfortunate Konoha Military Police as his unwilling playmates.

The first time he had left some graffiti on the outer walls and been dragged back to Madara's Tower, he had been ashamed to meet Madara's gaze. But the Hokage only laughed, commenting that it was only proper to test the vigilance of the guards, lest they grow too lax in fulfilling their duties. Naruto still treasured the memory of his captors blanching, when they realized that the expected discipline wouldn't be occurring.

With that tacit nod of approval from Naruto's sole source of acknowledged authority, a never-ending round of pranks and practical jokes ensued. In the powerful and well-regulated police state that Konoha had become since Madara had taken control, eight-year old Naruto was perhaps the only real thorn in the side of the Military Police. The self-appointed prankster relished his notoriety, no matter the cause.

With his peripheral vision, Naruto noticed two blurs keeping pace on the rooftops to either side. He grinned with anticipation. They'd managed to catch up to him, and now the fun could begin. If this team followed the normal strategy, then these two would be herding him toward…

Naruto scanned the area ahead of him. There was one rooftop directly ahead that rose slightly higher than the others, probably the home of an influential merchant, since the lack of defensive structures made it unlikely to house shinobi. That must be where they were setting up their trap.

Naruto charged straight for the tiled roof, controlling a nod of satisfaction when a young man in the uniform of the Military Police appeared in front of him. He whirled around as if to run away, displaying exaggerated shock and dismay when he saw the other two members of the squad closing in on him. He was trapped in the center of a rapidly shrinking triangle formation.

_3…2…1… now!_ Naruto used a substitution jutsu, transporting his body with a puff of smoke. He looked up at the rooftop from the street, where a split second ago he had dropped his buckets of paint. Far above his head the three guards collided in an explosion of red and blue, falling to the roof in a sprawling tangle.

_Amateurs!_ Naruto thought with satisfaction. _They should know better than to send the rookies after me by now!_ He took off in a new direction, making it far out of sight before the unfortunate guardsmen regained their feet once again.

Twenty minutes later, still out of sight of his pursuers, he came across a strange scene. A large hole had been blasted through the side of a large two-story building, broken beams and chunks of stone littering the street. A trio of Military Policemen lay motionless in the debris, covered in what looked to be some kind of slime.

Whatever had happened, it promised to be far more interesting than running from the rookies currently chasing him. Naruto kept his distance from the scene, looking for any signs of activity, while waiting for his tail to catch up with him. It seemed that whoever had done this was gone, since there was no movement around or inside the building.

"Damn it, Naruto!" came a harried cry several rooftops away.

Naruto looked up, noting with satisfaction that his three hapless pursuers were covered in splotches of red and blue paint. He lifted a hand and waved cheekily, then pointed at the devastation down on street-level.

The three policemen, all possessing the red-and-black sharingan eyes that were the signature of the Uchiha clan, came to a stop in a tight ring around Naruto.

"Don't think you can get away from us n- " the leader's eyes widened as he took in the destruction. "What the hell happened here?"

"Only one way to find out, captain!" Naruto said in a sing-song voice. He evaded the shortest guard's attempt to put a restraining hand on his shoulder, and jumped down to the street. He approached the three bodies slowly, not sure if they were dead or merely unconscious. It turned out to be the latter, as they began to stir and make small groans of pain. Naruto kept his distance and held his nose to ward off the rancid odor coming from the thick coating of slime on the victims.

Naruto's erstwhile pursuers reached him a moment later, doing their best to look as imposing and official as possible, which probably only worked because the three in front of them were too traumatized to notice the paint. The slime-covered guardsmen managed to reach their feet, although one had to double over immediately after in order to vomit. Naruto wondered why they were reacting so strongly; after all, it was just slime. Maybe it was mildly poisonous.

"What happened here?" The paint-spattered leader asked in an officious tone. Naruto belatedly recognized him as Uchiha Tanaki, a pompous bastard newly promoted to the rank of captain.

The man in the center of the slime-pool, whose uniform indicated that he was also a captain, looked around to take in the destruction.

"Holy shit, holy shit…" he muttered to himself over and over.

"I asked you a question, officer!" Tanaki snapped sharply. The man whirled around, brought out of his reverie by the military tone. He snapped to attention.

"We were attacked, sir! It was, well…" his salute wavered and his shoulders slumped, "it was a toad…"

Naruto couldn't hold in his laughter, and Tanaki looked as though he was ready to chew nails.

"Are you telling me," he said, spacing his words deliberately, "that all of this damage was caused by a _toad?_"

The slimed officer made an effort to stand tall, and looked Tanaki straight in the eye.

"Yes, sir! We were guarding this facility when a small toad came hopping down the street."

Naruto gave another snort, but he was ignored.

"We were unprepared, and it caught us with some kind of water jutsu that left us immobilized by this slime. We must have been knocked unconscious right after, because I don't remember how all… _this_… happened." His left arm swept to indicate the gaping hole in the wall behind him.

Tanaki's anger started to abate, and he eyed the ruins with speculation.

"The toad must have been a summoning, though only a strong shinobi would have been able to make contact with an animal capable of such a powerful jutsu."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, listening intently. What was a summoning, and what did it have to do with toads?

Tanaki continued his interrogation of the three guards.

"What was the purpose of the attack?" But before the guards could answer, realization crossed Tanaki's face. "Wait… -is this where…"

The other captain nodded miserably. "We were in charge of security for the clan heirs. Whoever it was escaped with all six children."

Tanaki's jaw dropped. "This is a disaster! The Hokage will be most displeased."

Even the captain appeared to lose courage at this pronouncement. The man who had vomited decided it was a good time for a repeat performance, and the third man sat down in the puddle of toad slime and began shivering violently.

Tanaki gestured his men forward, toward the hole in the building.

"Search the area. We'll have to assemble a full report for The Hokage."

The guardsmen picked their way through the debris, with Naruto close behind. He wasn't about to be left behind just when things were getting interesting. Though they searched the building from top to bottom, they found nothing except for doors lying awry on broken hinges. The bleak rooms they had formerly guarded looked more like prison cells than anything to Naruto, but then, from what he had gathered of the earlier conversation, that's what they had been meant for.

After a thorough search, Tanaki's squad managed to get the three guards moving, though it was with great reluctance that they prodded the slimy uniforms. In a half an hour they were gathered outside of Madara's Tower.

"Urgent news for the Hokage!" Tanaki called out loudly. The door swung open silently after a moment. Six guardsmen and one young boy entered the tower, and were ushered up several sets of winding stairs by a silent shinobi wearing the uniform of the Hokage's personal guard.

Soon they reached the top floor, where Madara's study was located. As the strange assortment of people filed into the room, Naruto was struck with vivid memories of the past. He remembered this room –he'd been in it before. There had been a nice old man called the Hokage, who told Naruto that his job was protecting everyone in the village. That was when Naruto decided he would one day become the Hokage, so that everyone would acknowledge him.

That was a few years ago, and the memory of the old man's face was a little hazy. Naruto figured that Madara was the Hokage now. That struck Naruto as a little bit sad, somehow. That old man had been nicer to him than anyone he could remember, other than Madara.

The study was much altered from Naruto's memories. He had a vague impression of green and blue walls, and large stacks of papers on the big desk in front of the window. The stacks of papers were gone, and the walls were covered with red and black wallpaper featuring strange shapes and leaping flames. At the far end of the study, above the window, the crest of the Uchiha clan stood out in stark relief. And underneath that crest, sitting in an enormous, elaborately carved chair that looked more like a throne, was the man who had wrought these changes.

"Well, well," Madara's deep voice sounded through his mask, sounding more than a little amused. "I see you've been up to your old tricks, my son. Paint, and… -is that _slime?_"

Naruto looked down at his feet, though he was sure Madara wouldn't miss his unrepentant grin.

"Only the paint is my fault, f -father." Even after more than a year, Naruto's tongue still stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

"Just the paint, eh? What do you have to say for yourself, Tanaki?"

Tanaki drew himself up to his full height, and saluted rigidly.

"Sir! We were in pursuit of Naruto for defacing _your_ monument," Tanaki paused and shot a dark look at the culprit, who was nodding enthusiastically at the mention of his crime.

Madara laughed, emitting a deep, booming sound that seemed to scare the six officers.

"We caught up to him in the downtown area, by a building that was very thoroughly torn up. We found Captain Hagane and his squad unconscious."

Tanaki bowed low, and gestured respectfully to see if the Hokage would prefer to hear the rest of the tale. Madara nodded wordless approval.

_Nice dodge_, thought Naruto with some measure of scorn. As young as he was, Naruto knew what had happened at the building was not going to make Madara happy. Tanaki was just trying to cover his ass.

Hagane stepped forward, and saluted as well. Naruto wasn't sure when one was supposed to salute or bow in front of Madara, having never been required to do either. He guessed it was something he would figure out with time.

"Sir. My squad was on rotation guarding the heirs to the main shinobi clans. We were caught unawares by a powerful Summoning Jutsu and incapacitated. We regained consciousness when Captain Tanaki arrived with his team, and searched the compound, but whoever it was managed to get away safely with all seven children. Our deepest apologies for our failure!"

The men sank to their knees and bowed, keeping their heads pressed to the floor. Naruto was looking with mild amusement as the slime dripped from their clothes to pool on the carpet, when a sharp _crack_ made him swing his head back towards Madara. The Hokage had slammed his fist down on the desk, haphazardly scattering brushes and the few scrolls on its surface. His mask, as always, hid his expression, but Naruto could sense the anger radiating off Madara in waves.

"What was the nature of this Summoning Jutsu?" His tone was all the more threatening for remaining perfectly calm.

"It… -It was a toad, Sir."

Madara arm trembled with suppressed rage, but after a moment he sighed, and the tension seemed to recede.

"I thought as much. Oh, get up," he said disgustedly, "you are warriors of the Uchiha clan, not rabbits. The enemy you faced was much too powerful for me to expect you to defeat him. Though mark me well," his single uncovered eye held each of the three in thrall for a short moment. "If you fail again, I will not be so lenient. You are dismissed. When you leave, Captain Tanaki, be sure to send General Fugaku in to see me. And Naruto," he added, his tone softening as he turned to look at the boy, "try to restrict your artistic efforts to a more… appropriate venue."

Naruto nodded and gave Madara an impish grin before turning to follow the six older shinobi, who looked more than a little green with relief at their Hokage's mercy.

At the top of the stairs, Tanaki sent his men down to fetch General Fugaku. Naruto had never heard of the man and wanted to follow, but Tanaki caught him by the collar.

"I won't be letting you out of my sight until we get back to barracks, you scamp. Just wait until His Majesty puts you through Military Police training. You'll be too tired to even think about pulling pranks."

Naruto stuck out his tongue, but, aside from that small gesture of defiance, followed compliantly. It had been a full day of mischief, and he was ready to get back to the barracks. He was sure he could interest some of the youngest Uchihas in the story of his flight through the city (suitably edited to include his heroic fight against the giant building-destroying slime monster, of course).

A few flights down, Naruto heard a slight rhythmic, metallic sound, which grew increasingly louder. Eventually the source of the sound rounded the corner ahead of them, and Naruto got his first look at the man who had to be General Fugaku.

He had shoulder-length brown hair framing hard, cold eyes. The impression of harshness was accentuated by the grim lines around his mouth and the uncompromising set of his jaw. He wasn't that old, not far from middle age, but something about his eyes made him seem far older. His sharingan was not activated, which was yet another strange thing. Most of the Military Policemen Naruto knew kept their sharingan activated pretty much all the time, since keeping it on didn't drain much chakra.

As interesting as Fugaku's face was for Naruto, it paled in comparison with the lower half of his body. His left pant leg ended at the knee, replaced by a peg leg attached with some kind of brace. Fugaku also carried a cane topped with a metal cap; that was the source of the metallic thumping. Naruto wanted to ask Fugaku how he lost his leg, but couldn't bring himself to speak out before this dangerous-looking man. Tanaki came to a stop and saluted as Fugaku walked by, and after a short pause, Naruto did the same.

Fugaku said nothing, though he gave Naruto an appraising look before continuing his upward climb. As soon as the man was gone, Naruto let himself shiver. Looking straight into Fugaku's eyes had made him feel colder, somehow. Like those black rings were pulling in the warmth of the sun, or sucking his energy right out of him. Creepy.

Naruto and Tanaki reached the base of the tower with no further excitement. When Tanaki took his hand off Naruto's shoulder, the young boy bolted.

"Narutooo!" The outraged cry echoed out behind him, but Naruto didn't look back. He would make it back to barracks before curfew, but first there was a really great ramen restaurant around here that he wanted to visit again…

oOoOo

On the top floor of Madara's Tower, the door to the ruler's study opened without a sound.

"Ah, come in Fugaku." Madara invited. "We have an issue of no small importance to discuss. Has word reached you yet of the disaster downtown?"

After a sharp salute, Fugaku stumped across the floor, and took a seat in the chair reserved only for the privileged few who spent time in the Hokage's private study.

"No, I have not heard anything, Hokage-sama."

Madara sighed.

"The Toad-Sage Jiraiya infiltrated the city earlier today, and broke out six of the young shinobi we were keeping under guard. As expected, the only Sannin with remaining ties to Konoha has shown his hand… -although not in a way that's likely to benefit him."

Fugaku's face registered polite disagreement, an expression which few could get away with in the presence of Uchiha Madara.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but how is this not a grievous loss? If I remember correctly, the only children we were keeping under active guard were the heirs of the main shinobi clans, and the daughter of Konoha's wealthiest and most influential merchant. So six children are missing, and five of them are heirs to powerful clans in the village. That could be a valuable bargaining chip, once Jiraiya gets them to another village."

Madara nodded briefly.

"I thought of that, but the actual value of those children is very small. What chance is there that they will be able to take up a position as heads of their clans? None anymore, especially now that I can declare them rogue shinobi, and redistribute their titles to shinobi of my choosing. And whatever loyalty their clan members may still hold to the children of their former leaders, it matters not while we retain control over their Caged Bird seals. We can command absolute obedience from all of the shinobi left within Konoha, so the idea of an uprising centered on restoring the escaped heirs just isn't plausible. And I doubt Jiraiya will find a village willing to run so high a risk for such an uncertain reward. No, my friend, I think this time the senile old fool just miscalculated, due to a sentimental faith in the next generation. And the fact that he didn't simply come straight to my tower and challenge me tells me he knows he does not possess the power to defeat me."

Madara paused, seemingly struck by a thought.

"And our losses aren't even that grievous," he said as an afterthought. "The young Hyuuga heir is still under our control, safely constrained by the Caged Bird Seal, along with all the rest of her arrogant relatives. To think that some people believe our clan is descended from those weaklings. It's insulting, honestly."

"Shall I set prices on the heads of the children, and alert our assets in the other villages?" Fugaku asked respectfully, gently steering Madara back to the matter at hand.

"Please do, although I expect Jiraiya will keep them out of sight for a while. From what I've heard, he always was one to play the long game. Maybe he'll try to train them all himself, for some grand attempt to take back Konoha years down the road, when he thinks we've forgotten about him. I wish I could see him now! The old man running a little nursery full of brats; really, I wish him all possible joy of his prize."

Madara gestured at the door in clear dismissal, and Fugaku stood to leave. But he hesitated, and the look on his face was one he would never have dreamed of revealing before anyone else: fear.

"Speak," Madara said.

"I apologize, but I've noticed that my vision has been growing… weaker, of late. It hasn't decreased my effectiveness, but it's definitely noticeable. Does it have to do with the Mangekyou sharingan?"

"Yes," Madara stated baldly. "Your vision will continue to deteriorate, until you go completely blind. It is the price we pay for such power. Do not despair," he added when Fugaku couldn't hide his dismay, "the process is reversible."

Madara pointed at the hole in his mask, where his eye glinted amidst shadow.

"I am living proof of that. And the process will grant you even more power, more than you have ever dreamed possible. But I require more proof that you deserve such a great gift. Bring me the two traitors who were once your sons, so that they may kneel before me and beg forgiveness for betraying their clan. Then I will give you the secret of the eternal Mangekyou."

Fugaku's eyes burned with an all-devouring hunger. He gave a reverent bow. "It will be as you command, Hokage-sama."

oOoOo

_I'm not cut out for parenting! _Jiraiya thought with dismay as he looked at the six young children arranged around the smokeless fire. _If I'd wanted a family, I would have married and settled down like everybody else!_

Six pairs of eyes looked back at him, all glowing with an uncompromising trust disturbing in its intensity.

"Where are you taking us, Jiraiya-sama?" the young Inuzuka child asked eagerly. "Are you going to train us, so we can go back and kill the men who locked us up?"

A chubby boy who must have been an Akimichi raised his hand. "Jiraiya-sama…" he stammered, "will you take us back to our families?"

Jiraiya blanched, not wanting to be the one to tell these young children the heart-breaking truth. But as it turned out, he didn't have to. A boy with dark sunglasses and his jacket pulled up to cover his mouth turned to the chubby boy.

"It is logical to assume that our parents were killed. We were being kept under guard because we are all, with the exception of Sakura, the heirs of Konoha's powerful clans. Our families were most likely killed by the Uchihas during the uprising, and replaced by new leaders."

Hearing the calm, expressionless monotone coming from an eight-year-old boy was jarring for Jiraiya. But then, he imagined that a year of captivity would have any number of disastrous effects on such young children. At least this young one had figured out the truth, and come to grips with it.

From the faces around the fire, it was clear that not everyone had come to the same conclusion. Choji's eyes were wide as saucers and rapidly filling with tears, and the Inuzuka boy was crying, too. Jiraiya noted with distant pride that they both stuffed their fists into their mouths to keep from making too much noise.

Not everyone was taken by surprise, though. A dark-haired boy with his hair pulled back in a spiky ponytail had only nodded confirmation when Shino broke the news to Choji. And from the grim look of shared understanding between the other two girls in the group, they had come to the same realization long ago. Jiraiya nodded internally, telling himself once again that what he was planning was the right course. They were tough enough to survive. Tough enough to push themselves beyond any limits they might once have allowed to stop them. And the gods knew they had the motivation.

Jiraiya leaned forward slightly, instantly capturing the attention of even the crying children.

"I couldn't save your parents," he told them, not having to feign the shame and self-loathing in his voice. "But I promise you I will avenge them. Until then I'll take you somewhere where you will be safe. Somewhere where you can grow stronger. It won't be easy. You're puny little squirts, and it will be years, if ever, before you're strong enough to fight against the Uchiha. But if you work hard enough, together we can ensure that the people responsible pay for their crimes. What do you say?"

At first there was silence. Then the girl with pink hair that marked her as a Haruno spoke up. "Will you be coming with us?"

"I can only take you to the village where you will live from now on. Then I will leave, to continue to fight for Konoha. There might be others I can free, and at the very least I will make life a living hell for the bastards who killed your family, and my friends. But I promise you, when you are ready I will stand with you."

Sakura nodded, reassured. Jiraiya looked around at the other young faces, grieving at the childhood that was already behind them, their innocence buried in the earth alongside their loved ones. But there was still hope, and sat right in front of him.

_They are young, _thought Jiraiya grimly. _But they will have to be strong, to carry the future of an entire village on their shoulders._

Six pairs of eyes met his across the fire, and gleamed with the reflected light of the dancing flames. The promise of vengeance hung in the air, intangible yet unshakable as the surrounding darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Officially the longest chapter I've ever written. Reviews always welcome!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 2**

Sasuke crouched low on the branch, trusting the thick foliage to keep him virtually invisible. He shifted slightly, keeping his balance with the chakra he pushed out in a controlled stream through his feet. The sounds of the forest reached his straining ears, and he catalogued each distinct sound in order to separate out anything unnatural that might warn of danger.

Birdsong reached his ears first, and he heard nothing that was not native to the area. The punctuated chatter from squirrels and other forest creatures came next, reassuring him that there was nothing in the area to frighten them away. Silence in the forest was only a myth; any time the animals went silent there was trouble brewing. Then he noted the slight rustle as the afternoon breeze ghosted through the trees, stirring up the leaves and bushes in its wake. And beneath it all came the one sound he'd been waiting for; the soft, rhythmic sound of footsteps growing louder, following the packed dirt road that ran through the forest.

He took a deep breath, slowly and silently. _Just a little more… -Now!_ Sasuke used his kunai to cut one of the many strings he held in his hands, feeling the slight tension recede as the traps he'd painstakingly strung up in the surrounding trees sprung. A volley of kunai shot forward out of the trees toward the road, though the leafy screen keeping him from sight also kept him from being able to watch the effect of his trap. From the road came the ringing clash of metal meeting metal.

Sasuke launched himself off of the branch, propelling himself forward with a burst of chakra against the trunk. He twisted and landed in a ready stance, facing down the road toward his victim. Itachi was standing upright in the center of the road, scornfully regarding the kunai scattered in the dirt around his feet.

"A poor attempt, Sasuke. And now you've given away your position."

Sasuke grinned, making sure not to meet his brother's eyes. There was no way he was going to let a genjutsu spoil his surprise.

"Checkmate, brother!" Sasuke crowed. He jerked hard on the wires he held between his fingers. He felt the wires strain and pull toward him, cutting slightly into the tree branches they were looped around. At the other end of the wires were the kunai he'd sent flying at his brother. Scores of wires drew taught into the air, almost too thin to see except for the gleaming of reflected sunlight. What looked like hundreds of streaks of light stretched across the road at varying heights, hemming Itachi in both in front and behind. The kunai rose in the air, forming a ring of steel around Itachi, but they weren't the true threat. No, the real danger for Itachi was the small white scraps of paper rolled tightly around the wires at regular intervals.

Sasuke formed a complicated series of seals, keeping the wires gripped tightly in his fingers. The razor wires moved unpredictably, and the kunai started a deadly dance in the air around Itachi.

"Katon: Firestorm jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, and let out the chakra he'd collected with a single breath. Small fireballs shot out from his fingers, aimed not at Itachi but at the air to either side of him. The first of the tightly rolled scrolls caught fire, and the explosions started. The first two ignited at the same time, one on either side of Itachi, and the twin bursts of fire reached the closest scrolls. A deadly chain of explosions began, triggering a staccato series of deafening booms as each new explosive tag ignited. The cumulative explosions became a mighty inferno roaring toward Itachi, caught helplessly in the center.

When the smoke cleared there was a smoldering corpse in the road, blackened bones showing through badly charred skin. Sasuke's jaw dropped, and he fell to his knees. A split second later the corpse disappeared, at the same time that a dark flash came hurtling out of the woods on his left. Itachi lunged with his kunai and slashed viciously through his brother's neck. The kunai passed harmlessly through the illusion, and the real Sasuke charged Itachi from behind.

Kunai met kunai and sent a shower of sparks into the air. Itachi stepped backward and raised his hands to bring a halt to the battle. A small smile threatened to break across his face.

"Well done, Sasuke," he said quietly. Sasuke grinned fiercely. Coming from Itachi, that was high praise.

"Your trap was well set up, but even better was the way you took advantage of the explosion to reposition yourself instead of waiting to see the effect. Never assume your attack will hit – over-confidence in an ambush will kill you faster than anything else."

Sasuke nodded seriously. "Was there anything I could have done better?" he asked. After so many similar exercises with his brother, Sasuke knew Itachi could easily point out at least thirty weaknesses with his strategy. Sasuke's pride had suffered during his training, but he knew it was the only way he would improve. Either Itachi had decided to take it easy on Sasuke today, or his trap had been particularly well thought-out, because Itachi kept the corrections to a minimum.

"You could have put more thought into your use of a simple illusion as a distraction in case I avoided the blast. With my sharingan I saw through it immediately, and most competent shinobi can see through such simple deceptions."

Why'd you attack it then?" Sasuke asked, quite reasonably he thought.

"The distraction was a good idea in principle, and everyone without the enhanced vision of the sharingan or the byakugan would have to consciously examine your clone carefully to know that it was a fake. Therefore the clone's effectiveness would vary according to how well the explosion worked to put your enemy off-balance." Itachi looked around at the surrounding forest.

"But in more practical terms, that was an extremely loud explosion. I wanted to bring the fight to a close soon, before we run into anybody curious. We scouted before starting this exercise, but that doesn't mean no one could have come within earshot since then. We need to start moving."

Sasuke quickly gathered up the wires from his trap, and pocketed the kunai. They were useless after getting caught in the giant explosion, but it was better to dispose of them later than leave them for someone to find.

oOoOo

Naruto walked leisurely along one of Konoha's busy thoroughfares, enjoying the light warmth of the sun on his neck. It was one of those early spring days that made you glad to be alive. For once, Naruto was content to pace himself and wander about like everyone else, keeping his feet firmly on the cobbled streets rather than racing along rooftops at breakneck speed.

Of course, it wasn't just the weather that had performed the near-miracle of slowing Naruto down for a while. He had a new wardrobe, and it would have been a waste to travel across rooftops where no one could appreciate it. Naruto grinned and stretched, luxuriating in the feel of the smooth fabric against his skin.

Along one side of the road was a trough full of water, most likely for watering horses that merchants sometimes brought into the village along with their goods. Naruto paused for a while, staring down into the water at the strange figure staring back at him. The face was vaguely similar, but the figure as a whole was missing something, and it seemed to Naruto that the absence of that something was working subtle changes in his physical features.

The old orange jumpsuit, veteran of years of hard use and arguably Naruto's only possession of any value for the majority of his life, was now a fine pile of ash rapidly dispersing in the air. He hadn't been able to hold back a sentimental tear or two at the sight of the bright orange jacket being tossed in with the rest of a pile of refuse, gradually but inexorably charring and turning into ash as the flames went about their work.

"Don't worry," the seamstress had said briskly, "you were bound to outgrow it soon anyway. Now you'll have clothes much more appropriate to your station."

And Naruto had to admit, his new clothes were certainly fine. A little impractical, maybe. He couldn't move quickly without the flowing lines of his cloak tangling around his legs, making landings and takeoffs from small spaces like weather vanes and chimneys impractical. The soft, expensive fabric was deceptively heavy, and with hotter weather or more strenuous activity it would no doubt cause him to sweat profusely. It wasn't an outfit for fighting or running or anything Naruto considered fun. But still, the clothes definitely fulfilled their purpose, which was to look good.

The cloak was solid black, with gold brocade around the shoulders and arms and intricate designs stretching all the way around the torso in red thread. The split circle that was the sign of the Uchiha clan and the symbol of Uchiha Madara displayed itself proudly on the front. Naruto had no idea how much the entire outfit must have cost, but knew it was more than he wanted to think about.

Naruto moved away from the horse trough, marveling at the graceful way the cloak seemed to follow the lines of his body. He had never owned something this expensive, but even beyond that, it was also the first time he had ever had something so clearly designed specially for him.

The villagers he passed by seemed greatly affected by his new cloak. They bowed before him even more respectfully than they did for the Military Police, and kept their eyes fixed on the ground. Naruto pondered the difference brought about by a simple change of wardrobe.

Once he had feared to walk the street because of the scorn and anger of people around him; now, Naruto found himself surrounded by people who couldn't bow fast enough. It was a heady sensation that kept a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth.

After a while, though, he realized that something was niggling at him. In the years before Madara adopted him, Naruto had had to contend with a lot of hatred. Shopkeepers had refused to sell to him, teachers had refused to teach him, and some people had hated him enough to try and kill him! But the worst part of his life was the loneliness. The ache inside when he watched other children playing together hurt more than any physical injury he'd ever suffered.

Now that Naruto's satisfaction at this new attitude was beginning to fade, it strangely felt like that loneliness was returning. When he passed by everyone averted their eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. Though he was surrounded by people, Naruto was as alone and set apart as surely as he'd been on the playground that day when he'd first met Madara. When that realization set in, Naruto found that he didn't enjoy showing off his cloak as much as he'd thought. In fact, he grew a little ashamed of his finery, and wished once again that he could just blend in.

His stomach growled, distracting him from his sad train of thought. _Don't worry,_ he said to his complaining stomach. _I'll feed you_. It occurred to Naruto that if he went into one of the restaurants to the side of the street, he would have a welcome break from the constant bowing and hastily averted fearful glances. Cheered by the prospect, Naruto headed toward a restaurant with a colorful banner and delicious-looking samples displayed on the counter.

He sat at one of the stools set in front of the low counter and studied a menu. After a moment, a woman came out from the back room, her attention fixed on the mug that she was drying with a cloth. With her back to Naruto, she set both items on a shelf, then turned to face him. Naruto was shocked at the rush of fear that suffused her face, and the violent trembling that overtook her body.

"How may I help you, your lordship?" she asked in a voice no louder than a whisper, her eyes fixed on her white-knuckled hands.

Naruto blushed with shame and confusion. "Please, I don't want… won't you look at me?" his voice broke. He stretched out a pleading hand in her direction, as if to raise her face to meet his.

"Don't touch my sister, demon-spawn!" came an angry voice from the back room. Naruto's head jerked around to see a man in his early twenties, moving quickly to his sister's side with hatred across his face.

"No, don't!" the woman cried out, but was drowned out by a louder cry from the street.

"What's going on here!" Naruto and the two siblings turned to see a Military Policeman walking forward briskly. Naruto felt bewildered and dizzy, and the situation continued to spiral out of control.

"Please, officer!" the woman pleaded, "my brother didn't mean anything, he's confused –" her impassioned pleas were cut off when the shinobi reached the counter and casually lashed out with the back of his hand, sending the woman reeling backward and crashing into a rack of pots and pans. The resulting crash was deafening, and Naruto felt sick to his stomach when he saw the spray of blood that speckled the counter and far wall. The brother yelled and dove down to his sister's side, taking her head in his hands. The Military Policeman began to move to go behind the counter.

"Stand down!" Naruto gave the command in as forceful a voice as he could manage.

The policeman came to attention and gave Naruto a correct salute, but his lip curled scornfully. "The villager offered violence to the son of the Hokage, it is my duty to place him under arrest. If you'll excuse me… -sir."

The title was added as an afterthought, and enraged Naruto further. Normally he was made uncomfortable by the excessive deference he encountered from his foster father's clan, but it infuriated him that this brute of a policeman was using Naruto as an excuse to hurt people, and then treating him like a child with no business meddling in adult affairs.

Naruto straightened, straining for a little extra height, and imagined that he was Madara pinning the man in place with just his eyes.

"I am the Hokage's son," Naruto said, though the word sounded strange and unfamiliar to his tongue, "and I order you to leave these two alone. Or should I bring you to Madara's attention?" Naruto deliberately used his foster father's name, hoping it would have the desired effect.

The conflict was clear in the policeman's face, but after a few seconds he bowed.

"As you command, sir." The man walked swiftly away, not turning back. When he was out of sight, Naruto went behind the counter to check on the young woman. Her brother still cradled her head, glaring at Naruto with venomous eyes. A dark purple splotch was visible across the woman's cheek, around the imprint of the back-handed slap, and a shallow cut trickled blood slowly down from her forehead.

"Are you ok?" Naruto gasped, bringing his hand to rest on the woman's arm. She jerked it away as if it had been burned, and Naruto brought his arm awkwardly back to his side. It was as clear as day that he was not wanted here, and anything he did would only make the brother angrier or the sister more afraid. He set his face in a frozen mask and left the restaurant.

Regardless of the seamstress' strict warning regarding proper behavior while wearing his new cloak, Naruto jumped from the street to the top of a cart and from there onto the nearest roof. He set off as fast as his legs would take him, letting the wind whipping by his face disperse the tears threatening to fall.

oOoOo

_How the hell did sand get in there? _Jiraiya asked himself, looking at the offending bedroll with disgust. _I spread a blanket underneath it! _After a moment he just sighed and shook the bedroll to get rid of as much sand as possible. They were in the desert, after all. Sand was everywhere; why not in his bedroll?

Night was falling fast in the Suna desert, covering the rolling dunes in darkness. Soon the sand would cool, and various nocturnal creatures would surface from their burrows. Jiraiya and his flock of orphans had adopted a similar schedule, although they set up tents instead of burrowing underground during the day. If it had been up to Jiraiya, he would have moved much faster and rested less, but the children were not used to such arduous traveling.

Jiraiya looked around the camp with pride. His kids – it was almost scary how quickly and easily he had begun to think of them as _his_ – were packing away bedrolls and breaking down camp silently and with the easy precision of veteran soldiers. Well, Kiba did have a disgusted look on his face and Shikamaru was moving noticeably slower than the others, but, as far as Jiraiya was concerned, these kids were bearing a bad situation extremely well. It was not easy roughing it for weeks on end, staying constantly alert and out of sight of any other humans. At least now they were in the Suna desert, it wasn't quite as likely that they would run into anyone who might betray their location to Konoha – but then, the desert came with its own set of difficulties.

In a remarkably short time everyone had completed their tasks and gathered around Jiraiya with their packs shouldered. The fire pit was filled back in, and soon the shifting sand would erase any remaining traces of their presence.

"It's been a difficult few weeks, and I know all of you are exhausted," Jiraiya said. "But we're almost there. If we move quickly tonight, we'll reach Suna before daybreak."

In the darkness it was difficult to see, but Jiraiya sensed that the faces in front of him lit up.

"Is that where we're going to stay, Jiraiya-sensei?" Sakura asked, the hope plain in her voice.

"I hope so," Jiraiya answered. It wasn't a sure thing by any means, but with a little… persuasion… he was sure he could get the Suna council to look after the children. "It's a strong village with well-trained shinobi, and it's far enough away from Konoha that you'll be safe from the Uchiha."

"You mean they'll be safe from us," Kiba snarled. "Until we go back and rip their throats out!" From his perch on Kiba's head, Akamaru let out a sharp bark of agreement. Silence fell over the group after that remark, but the silence spoke of assent rather than disagreement. Jiraiya winced internally at the reminder of how much these children had already suffered.

For over a year they had been kept as hostages to gain extra cooperation from their clans, secure in a compound that was little more than a prison. All but Sakura were surely orphans, and even she couldn't know for sure what had happened to her parents. Their wealth made them more useful to the Hokage alive, but there was no way to predict the actions of a power-hungry tyrant. Jiraiya could only guess how these kids had suffered at the hands of their captors.

But the result was heart-breaking indeed. Six children who shouldn't be worrying about anything other than skipping classes were fixing their sights on a future filled with vengeance. _But Konoha will need champions before long_, Jiraiya told himself. _Already the Uchiha are showing their true colors, and the villagers weep tears of blood._ These children wouldn't be children for long.

"Let's get going," was all Jiraiya said, and the group set off in the direction of Sunagakure. Being so close to the end of their journey, the children seemed too tense to engage in their usual banter. The silence seemed unusually oppressive in the absence of Shikamaru and Ino's bickering and Kiba's loud exuberance. That night they were all quiet, remembering the past and speculating about the future.

Jiraiya made certain to scout ahead periodically, though he never strayed too far from the group. As he started to pull away on another short foray, Shikamaru sped up to keep pace with him.

"What's this about, Shikamaru?" Jiraiya asked.

"I wanted to ask you something," Shikamaru said. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "And I didn't want to worry the others."

Jiraiya watched Shikamaru closely. The boy was lazy and rarely applied himself, but Jiraiya suspected that he was much more intelligent than he let on.

"Go on."

"Will we be safe in Suna? We're valuable to Konoha, otherwise we wouldn't have been locked up. Won't the Kazekage just send us back? Letting us stay would only put his village in danger."

_Interesting, _Jiraiya thought. Shikamaru was much smarter than he'd realized. There weren't many eight-year-olds who would be able to grasp the political incentives driving relationships between villages. But how much of the truth was it appropriate to tell him? In the end Jiraiya decided not to hold much back. Shikamaru, along with the others, had been through too much to be kept in the dark.

"You are correct; harboring you six would put his village in danger," Jiraiya admitted. "And there's no guarantee that he will agree to take you in. But there are… incentives."

Jiraiya looked around quickly before he continued, making sure the road ahead remained empty.

"First of all, you are valuable to Suna for the same reason that you are dangerous – namely, that five of you are the rightful leaders of respected shinobi clans. That makes you very valuable indeed, for anyone looking to cause unrest in Konoha. The other shinobi villages are walking very quietly for the moment, trying to figure out where they stand with regards to the new Hokage. Though the uprising was swift and effective, the Uchiha have many enemies who would kill for the political opportunity that you six represent."

Jiraiya watched as the wheels turned, sure that Shikamaru wouldn't need to hear any of this twice.

"Second, you have each inherited the skills of many generations of warriors. Villages would kill to know the shadow techniques of the Nara clan, for example. Considering that we're offering knowledge of all of your techniques, and the six of you are willing to put that knowledge to use for Suna, it will be difficult for them to turn us down. Secret techniques are much, much more valuable than gold for shinobi villages."

Shikamaru cocked his head quizzically.

"But I haven't even begun training with Shadow Possession. And the others don't really know the techniques of their clans either. Shino has his bugs and Kiba has Akamaru, but they don't know many jutsus of the Aburame or Inuzuka clans yet."

"Not to worry," Jiraiya said, allowing himself a smug smile. "I have the secret scrolls with the techniques of your clans safe, right here with me." He patted a pocket on the side of his vest. "I will tell Suna that it's a bargain deal or nothing at all – either they take you six and the scrolls, or we hit the road and bring our offer to another village. The current Kazekage has a reputation for valuing the strength and reputation of his village above everything else; I believe he will value your potential above the risk that goes along with keeping you safe from Konoha's spies."

Shikamaru gave a short nod. "So there is something in it for him. That's good to hear."

"There is one more complication. Safe haven alone would be one thing. But if the Kazekage agrees to train you along with his own forces, he may require you to swear oaths of loyalty to Suna. In fact, I would count on it. Logically, it makes no sense for him to train you without ensuring that your skills will never be used against his village. The price of your safety may be your allegiance."

Shikamaru stared soberly at Jiraiya. "As long as they don't get in the way of our revenge. I won't let the Uchiha stay in power."

Jiraiya was both relieved and heartbroken to hear Shikamaru state his intentions so forcefully, but had to point out the possible problems.

"I applaud your determination. However, the Kazekage will definitely not accept ultimatums, especially not from children. It's true that the current Kazekage hates Konoha with a passion. However, in time that may change. And if you become shinobi of Suna, pursuing revenge against the Uchiha without the Kazekage's orders would be treason. Would you be willing to go to such lengths?"

"I can't speak for the others," Shikamaru said after a moment. "But no matter the cost, I'm going to kill them for what they did. Even if it means betraying the village that took me in."

"All right," Jiraiya sighed. "Then it's full steam ahead. If Suna takes you in, as I believe they will, you'll be able to prepare. In the meantime I'll keep fighting the Uchiha and try to come up with a strategy to take them down. When you are ready, you can join me. With any luck, you'll come with the full weight of Sunagakure behind you."

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei," Shikamaru said respectfully. "Can I tell the others what you've told me?"

"Tell them as much as you think is appropriate. I trust your discretion."

Shikamaru dropped back to the other five and they began talking quietly. Jiraiya put on a small burst of speed and shot ahead, the better to make sure that the way ahead of them was clear.

A short while later Jiraiya appeared out of the darkness before the six children.

"We're very close. We'll reach the village proper in an hour."

"Do we just walk right up to the main gate?" Choji asked curiously.

"No," Jiraiya answered. "The only person who will know about you is the Kazekage himself."

Sakura cocked her head to one side. "How will we get to him without being seen by anyone else?"

"I have a plan. But I doubt you're going to like it."

Jiraiya opened his jacket, and from an inside pocket a small toad hopped out onto his hand. It looked at the shocked children and gave a surprisingly loud croak.

"Is that…" Ino stammered weakly, "what I think it is?"

"If you think it's your ticket to get close to the Kazekage without being noticed, then you're absolutely right!" Jiraiya declared with a grin. "Now everybody into the toad!"

oOoOo

Several hours later, Sasuke and Itachi had covered a good deal of distance. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon, and the sky took on an orange hue. They were still traveling on the wide, heavily-packed dirt road, with light tree cover on either side. Sasuke began to grow tired, and was debating the merits of asking Itachi whether they should leave the road and make camp. He would welcome a break, but he didn't want Itachi to think he was being weak.

"Itachi," Sasuke said hesitantly, but was cut off by the volley of kunai that came hurtling at them out of the trees. Sasuke and Itachi jumped in opposite directions, while the kunai sunk several inches into the dirt where they had been walking only a second before. Sasuke turned his head, frantically trying to detect the source of the attack through the darkness of the trees. Was this something Itachi had set up? Yet another test?

Then the earth in front of him rippled, and became liquid. A shape rose up out of the ground, growing until it was a man-sized pillar of earth and stone, and solidified into the form a man. He was short and squat, with a squashed nose and a chipped kunai held in one hand. He stepped forward, easily avoiding Sasuke's reflexive punch and brought the blade up to his neck. Sasuke froze, feeling the blade pressing against his flesh.

"Got him, boss" the squat man called out.

"Good work," came an answering voice from the forest. Two forms materialized from the tree cover and took up positions next to Sasuke and his captor. They were just as dirty and crudely dressed as the man holding his knife to Sasuke's neck, although the man who had spoken was considerably larger and stronger-looking. He carried a huge club with iron spikes sticking out of it. The third man had shifty, darting eyes and an angular face. Sasuke thought he looked more than a little rat-like. Itachi faced the three men impassively, crouched in a taijutsu stance.

"Looks like some fishes have swum right into our net, boys!" the largest man observed in a joking tone. The man holding Sasuke captive chuckled darkly, and the knife left a thin red line across Sasuke's neck. The sudden sharp sting caught him by surprise, and he had to fight to keep from gulping. He had no doubt how that would end.

"Now, there's no need for violence, friend," the lead bandit called out to Itachi. "Just give all your valuables to my associate here," he gestured with one meaty hand to the rat-like man, "and we can all go on our way. Real civilized, and nobody gets hurt."

Itachi nodded, and started forward warily. When he was closer to Sasuke and the three bandits, the red glow from his eyes became visible.

"Red eyes, boss! He's an Uchiha!" the shifty man called out. Sasuke could see all three tense, and was quietly proud that the reputation of his clan was known even by worthless lowlifes in the forests controlled by Kirigakure.

"That's far enough, my good man," the leader said, and Sasuke thought he detected a note of fear in his fake-genial tone. "You just keep those red eyes of yours on the ground, and don't come any closer if you want this nice boy to live through the night."

"Hey, boss," said the squat man standing over Sasuke, "wasn't there supposed to be two Uchiha, a fighter and a brat, that left Konoha? I bet there's a pretty price on their heads!"

"Hmm," the leader mused. "I think you might be right, Tanketsu. Your perception is impressive."

Sasuke's captor grinned, a frightening sight as it featured mostly yellowing teeth and holes where they were missing.

"Just trying to help, boss! Let's get these two and pick up the reward."

The bandit leader sighed with gentle exasperation. "And you were doing so well. Ah, it is my curse and my burden to be the brains of our operation." He turned to Itachi, and spread out his hands in a peace-making gesture.

"Good sir, it appears we are at an impasse. You are outnumbered three to one, but I think we both know your sharingan could make things slightly difficult for us. Therefore I will offer you a deal. If you leave now, I promise that this boy will live. We will take him to Konoha and collect the reward. No doubt they will take him back, especially if we tell them that you were holding him against his will. It's a win-win for everyone – you don't have a kid slowing you down, he's back with his family, and we get a sizable reward. What do you say?"

Itachi lifted his head slightly, only to the height of the bandit leader's chest. The man's cultured voice grew sterner.

"However, if you try and fight us, the boy will die instantly and then we will kill you. Don't think I haven't fought your kind before. We won't fall for your red-eye sorcery, and with three of us it won't matter if you can predict our attacks."

Sasuke wanted to scream out in defiance, but the rusty kunai against his throat kept him silent. Itachi's eyes met Sasuke's for a long moment. Sasuke thought he saw something there, some emotion that he couldn't name. Then Itachi broke his gaze and nodded toward the bandit leader.

"That is acceptable. Deliver him to Konoha alive and I will not seek a fight with you." Without so much as a puff of smoke Itachi disappeared, leaving Sasuke alone in the road with the three bandits.

They remained tense, keeping watch on the surrounding terrain. Sasuke knew Itachi must have agreed in order to put the bandits off their guard. Surely he wouldn't have just abandoned Sasuke. But then the leader shook Sasuke's confidence.

"Dani, is he gone?" the leader directed the question to the little man next to him, a few moments after Itachi had disappeared. Dani sniffed hard, looking more than ever like a rodent, and nodded the affirmative.

"I'd be able to sense him if he was within a mile of us, boss. He's gone."

The boss let out a satisfied sigh. "So nice to do business with a man of sense. All right, boys, let's get our lost little Uchiha back to his clan."

Sasuke's mind was racing. Was it true, was Itachi really gone? Why? Sasuke felt sick to his stomach. He could only think of one reason why Itachi would leave. Itachi must be expecting him to free himself. The blade was still at his throat, but Sasuke knew his brother wouldn't be afraid. He would have to be strong, and show Itachi that he could defend himself.

Luckily his hands were still free. Sasuke formed a quick seal, and shoved both hands up. His captor had grown lax, and Sasuke was able to get his hands between the kunai and his throat. Tanketsu barely had time to tense before Sasuke's palms ignited with a low-power fire jutsu. He yelped and jumped backwards, dropping the kunai reflexively but not before scoring a deep cut across both of Sasuke's hands. It hurt like hell, but Sasuke suffered gladly knowing the kunai might just as easily have slit his throat.

The other two had been alerted by their teammate's yell, but Sasuke was already forming another set of seals, gritting his teeth against the agony coursing through his bleeding hands. In his fear and desperation, Sasuke threw more chakra into the jutsu than he'd ever been able to before.

"Katon: Fire Wave!" he yelled, and was gratified to see the roaring flames that emanated from around him, scorching the earth for several yards in every direction. When the technique subsided he was free and mobile, standing in the middle of a blackened circle a dozen feet across. The three bandits were standing at different points around him, just outside the area his jutsu had reached.

"I would really prefer not to waste time playing with this child," the leader said with an affected sigh. "Tanketsu, would you please immobilize him? And for gods' sakes, don't allow him the free use of his hands this time!"

"Yes boss," the short man replied, blowing on his scorched hands. "It would be my pleasure to lop the brat's hands right off!"

He advanced on Sasuke, who kept his full attention on the man while forming a familiar set of seals behind his back.

"I'm gonna get you for scorching my hands, you little-"

But whatever he meant to call Sasuke was cut off by the jet of flame that propelled forward at high speed. It caught him straight on, and wreathed his entire upper body in flames. Tanketsu emitted a terrifying scream that cut off after a few blessedly short seconds. Sasuke whirled to face the other two, who were looking at the charred corpse behind him with horror.

"_Brother_!" the rat-like man screamed hoarsely. "You bastard, I'll gut you for this!" He pulled out a braided whip with a leather handle and a wicked metal spike gleaming on the end. He began spinning it behind him, making the air hum as the whip cut viciously through the air.

"Careful, Dani," the leader cautioned. "You don't want to end up like your poor brother. We'll take our time with this one." He slid a sword out from beneath his tattered cloak and spun it once in front of him. They both closed on Sasuke, who found that he'd exhausted most of his chakra with the earth wave and the fire jutsu. He felt weak and quivery, and wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep fighting.

He leaped backward to keep from being flanked, and sent a volley of kunai at each bandit. They dodged easily, and Sasuke could see he didn't even have enough strength to throw a kunai at full speed. The smaller man circled warily, and sent his whip out in a few questing strikes which Sasuke could barely dodge. As it was, he was left with a few glancing cuts across his arms and rips in his clothing.

While the whip was on its backswing Sasuke whirled and charged at the leader, hoping to avoid getting caught between the two of them. He was completely unprepared when the leader swung his sword in a sharp arc and sent a disc of solid air hurtling at him. It caught him in the stomach and rammed him like an iron bar, reversing his direction in midair. Before he could regain his balance the whip wrapped around him, trapping his arms tightly at his sides. After wrapping him up tightly, the whip came to a stop with the metal barb embedding itself deeply into his arm above the elbow. Blood spurted and he let out a cry of pain, but the whip kept him motionless.

"Excellent work," the leader said.

"Please boss, let me kill him and avenge Tanketsu! You don't need him alive to get the reward from Konoha!"

The blood froze in Sasuke's veins when he heard the words from behind him. He watched the leader without hope, like a helpless mouse watching a cat.

"Hmm… yes, it would make things easier, especially since we're going to have to transport him all the way back to Konoha to collect the reward. This way we won't have to worry about him trying anything… unwise. Yes, Dani, go ahead."

The little man snarled and jerked the handle of his whip, turning Sasuke all the way around.

"I want you to see this coming, you Uchiha bastard!" he snarled. He walked slowly toward Sasuke, holding the whip loosely in his right hand and taking out a kunai with his left.

Sasuke saw death approaching, but he couldn't keep his attention focused on the man in front of him. Instead, it was Itachi who was foremost in his mind. How could his brother have left him alone? There were too many for Sasuke to fight on his own. It wasn't a test of his abilities, he realized that now. In a few seconds he would be dead, and Itachi wasn't going to do anything about it. Itachi really had betrayed him.

It was too much. The pain from his wounds was nothing compared to the anguish and overwhelming loneliness he was feeling. Sasuke closed his eyes, and it seemed that all of the rage and pain and helplessness started swirling in his head, causing a pounding headache and a sense of pressure behind his eyes. It grew and grew until Sasuke could take no more. He screamed and... _pushed_… and then his world exploded. Sasuke opened his eyes, and saw red.

Two feet away from him, and coming closer, was the kunai meant for his heart. But for some reason it seemed to be moving in slow motion. The rat-like man charging forward with a snarl on his face now appeared to Sasuke's eyes as a roiling mass of blue chakra. That, too, was moving almost impossibly slowly; extending in a straight line through the arm holding the kunai. And suddenly everything snapped into place.

Sasuke pulled back hard on the whip, causing the trajectory of the kunai to change slightly. It was the easiest thing in the world to spin into its path before his would-be killer could bring it back into line, and just like that the blade sheared through the whip a few feet from the handle. Now there was enough slack in the rope for Sasuke to free his arms. With his left hand he grabbed the wrist of the rat-like man and pulled him forward, using his momentum to keep him off balance. His right hand snaked down to a pouch on the pack around his waist and brought out a kunai, lunging forward in a fluid motion. The blade buried itself in his attacker's chest up to the hilt, aided by the extra burst of strength and speed that seemed to accompany his newfound vision.

He jerked the kunai out and watched the bandit stagger back a few steps, the handle of the sliced whip dropping from nerveless fingers to land in the dirt. A few seconds later, the bandit followed suit.

Sasuke turned to face the last of the bandits. The leader was looking at his eyes with horror.

"Now, maybe we can come to some agreement…" he stammered, but Sasuke had already launched himself forward. This time he was expecting the attack, and the discs of air that the bandit sent shooting from his sword were easy to dodge. Beneath the bandit leader's skin Sasuke could see his chakra roiling and expanding, and then pushing out through the sword into the discs of air. With each successive attack he felt more and more confident, and dodged each one with a smaller and smaller margin.

He grabbed the raggedly cut end of the whip that was dragging in the dirt by his feet, and gave a sharp tug. The sharp metal barb at the end ripped out of his flesh, but he didn't even feel it with the adrenaline pumping through him. A rolling somersault brought him within range of the leader while avoiding a horizontal wind attack. He cracked the shortened whip forward, catching the sword hilt right underneath the cross guard, and sent it flying with a backwards snap of his wrist. The bandit leader staggered back two steps before catching his balance. He looked at his empty hands, and the sword now far out of his reach, and blanched. Without a word, the bandit spun around and ran off into the forest.

Sasuke kept a ready stance for a few seconds, to make sure his enemy's flight wasn't just a ruse. As his heartbeat began to slow down and the pressure behind his eyes started to abate, the pain from his wounds hit him with all of its original force. Exhaustion set in immediately after, sweeping through his entire body with inexorable force. His knees buckled and he fell to his knees in the dirt.

A distant part of his mind told him that he needed to get up and retrieve his gear, that he should get as far from this scene as possible. But what then? Not even the functioning analytical corner of his mind had the answer.

Sasuke walked to the corpse nearest him, which belonged to the smaller of the two brothers. Sasuke picked up the kunai that he had thrown and put them back in his pouch, trying not to look at the bloody wound he had inflicted. But when he turned away, he saw the body of the bandit he'd caught with fire jutsu. The man's features were completely burned away, and parts of his skull were visible where the skin had been charred through.

Everything converged in a rush. The fear he'd been repressing, the pain from his slashed hands and punctured arm, and most of all, the awful sight of the two men he'd killed. A burning feeling rose in his throat, and he was unable to fight it off. He fell to his knees a second time and threw up until there was nothing left in his stomach but bile. Tears flowed fiercely down his cheeks, which he tried in vain to wipe away.

He sensed someone's presence behind him and leapt to his feet, spinning and drawing out a kunai in the same motion. Itachi stood there in the road, next to the whip-user's corpse.

"Itachi," Sasuke whispered. So many emotions were fighting for supremacy in his mind that he didn't know what to say. "How… -he said he could sense you if you were close," Sasuke stammered, pointing to the body near Itachi's left foot.

Itachi looked back at him calmly, as Sasuke fought to gain control of himself.

"I had him under a genjutsu," Itachi replied. "His detection is based on scent, but my technique worked directly on his brain to remove my scent. Then I concealed myself in the trees."

"But why? They were going to kill me." Sasuke's voice was part confusion, part accusation, and part grief.

Itachi walked closer to Sasuke, until they were standing mere feet apart.

"Do you remember what I told you? That even if you love someone, it is still possible to betray them?"

Sasuke nodded, and Itachi's eyes seemed to hold his in thrall.

"How did I betray you?"

"You left," Sasuke said in a voice barely audible to his own ears.

"That's right. There is nothing worse, no greater shame, than leaving someone who depends on you." Itachi looked away, his eyes growing unfocused as if he was looking beyond the trees that lined the road.

"Almost two years ago now, I was an ANBU captain and a servant of Konoha. The villagers depended on me to keep them safe. Then I discovered that there was a plot to take over the village – to remove the Hokage and install a new one in his place. It was my place to fight for the villagers' freedom, but instead I found you and escaped."

Itachi fixed his gaze back on Sasuke, who was sitting silent as a stone, listening intently.

"I couldn't have won. If I had stayed I would have died, and the outcome would have been no different. But that doesn't change the fact that I loved the village, and its people, and still I left them alone. I couldn't protect them, Sasuke. And I can't protect you. But I can do my best to force you to become strong, so that you don't need my protection."

Sasuke remained immobile, thinking. After a few minutes he appeared to come to a resolution.

"I only have one question. If… if I hadn't activated my sharingan, when the bandit was coming at me with a kunai… would you have stopped him?" He was almost afraid to hear Itachi's answer, but kept his gaze and his voice steady.

"Yes," Itachi said immediately. "Though it would have been no true favor to you."

In spite of Itachi's cautionary words, a wave of relief washed through Sasuke.

Later that evening, Sasuke pulled his bedroll tighter and shifted restlessly. He couldn't fall asleep, and his head was filled with visions of fire and blood and everything his brother had told him. Underneath those thoughts was the headachy pressure he recognized as the aftereffects of using his sharingan for the first time. Inside himself he thought he felt that power, just waiting to be unleashed.

It really was tragic, Sasuke realized, after he managed to suppress the strength of his reaction to Itachi's betrayal. His brother held himself to be guilty of abandoning his post. That knowledge ate at his brother every day. But still, he had saved Sasuke. And when he could have gone on alone, moving faster and avoiding more danger without Sasuke, he still looked out for his little brother.

_I'm going to be stronger_, Sasuke vowed. So his brother didn't think he could protect him forever? That was fine. He didn't need a protector. He would become so strong that no one could beat him. And if Itachi tried to leave, Sasuke would follow. Because you never give up on the people you love.

oOoOo

Naruto's mouth watered in response to the feast set out before him. The table was small, meant for two to four people, but there wasn't an inch of the table not covered by platters overflowing with delicious food. A rice ball disappeared down his throat, followed by almost an entire fish and some cold noodles.

"Slow down, Naruto!" Madara laughed. "The food isn't going anywhere."

Naruto nodded, and paused long enough to chew before swallowing his next bite. He fully intended to take advantage of the feast; who knew how long it would be before Madara invited him to eat with him again. Until the next time, he'd be eating barracks fare along with the Military Policemen who lived in the military compound. It was at least edible, but institutional food could only be so good. The food at Madara's table was heavenly in comparison.

Madara just watched as Naruto ate. Naruto was used to this routine by now; Madara didn't remove his mask to eat or drink or for any other reason, as far as Naruto had seen. He supposed that Madara must eat sometime, but it must be when he was alone. Madara didn't seem to mind just waiting for Naruto to finish, and it had only taken him a few times to get used to eating with the imposing audience of one.

After cutting a swath through the food on the table, Naruto wiped his mouth on a heavily embroidered napkin and pushed his plate back. Almost immediately a man wearing the livery of the Palace servants rushed forward to clear the table of the empty china. Naruto murmured a quiet 'thank you' to the man, who remained silent and retreated with an easy grace.

The servant's eyes disconcerted Naruto, as they always did: they were entirely white, with no pupils in the center. Many of the servants in Madara's Palace (which had been built around what used to be the Hokage's Tower) shared the same white eyes, which Naruto had learned only belonged to members of the Hyuuga clan. Naruto had once asked a Military Policemen why so many of the servants seemed to be Hyuugas. The man laughed and told him that it was all they were good for. Naruto got the feeling that the Hyuugas must have done something very bad, if they were all forced to be servants instead of fighting shinobi.

"Your appetite appears as healthy as ever," Madara observed dryly. "Are you applying yourself to your studies as diligently as you attend to your stomach?"

"Of course!" Naruto said indignantly. "My instructor said I'm his best student!"

Madara only snorted. "As if he'd dare accuse my son of stupidity. Still, it is good to hear that you are applying yourself. I see the new clothes arrived," he said, giving Naruto's new robe a quick once-over. "How do you like them?"

Naruto could feel the blush rising in his cheeks as the memory of his disastrous outing that day came rushing back. He wished he'd never put on his new cloak, or gone about the city showing it off. But he couldn't say that to Madara, who had gone to the trouble of ordering him specially-made new clothing.

"It's very fine, father. I can't ever thank you enough for your generosity."

But his hesitation hadn't escaped Madara's notice, and the Hokage's one visible eye narrowed suspiciously.

"What is wrong? Is the design not to your liking? Or perhaps you miss your old jacket?"

"No, it's not that at all! The clothes are beautiful, it's just…" Naruto trailed off, not sure how to articulate the discomfort he had felt when facing the reactions of the villagers.

"Go on."

So Naruto told Madara about his experience wearing his new finery, fumbling for words to describe how he had felt. He told Madara everything up until his decision to get food from the street-side restaurant. For some reason that Naruto couldn't put his finger on, he felt better keeping the story of his run-in with the policeman and the restaurant owners to himself.

"Let me see if I understand you correctly," Madara said slowly, leaning forward and putting his gloved hands together. "You felt alone, as if the villagers were excluding you when they refused to look at you."

"Yes," Naruto admitted, snagging a few rice balls to cover his embarrassment.

"Ah, Naruto," Madara sighed. "Your humility is impressive, but unnecessary. You are no longer an orphan living alone, dependent on others for survival. You are my son, and next in line to become Hokage. The villagers are right to show you deference and respect, for you are far more powerful than they."

"But I don't want their deference!" Naruto blurted out, distressed. "I just want them to acknowledge me…"

Madara shook his head slightly. "You're still making the mistake of thinking about these people as your equals, Naruto. I have acknowledged you, and so has the Uchiha clan. In time you will rule this village, and the enemies of Konoha will acknowledge your strength as well. The only things a ruler needs are obedience and respect."

Naruto was silent for a moment, digesting this information. He had never really made the connection before that he was to be the next Hokage. It had been a goal that he'd set for himself as soon as he'd understood what it meant, and to simply have that goal assured took him by surprise. It was a good feeling, but strange. Maybe it was really that simple; that Hokages and their sons were different, and apart from other people. But that didn't explain the restaurant owner or her brother.

"But I don't think people only bow out of respect," Naruto said, trying to choose his words carefully so as not to give away what had happened. "There have been people who looked at me with fear, and anger. Why would that be, if they're supposed to respect me?"

"Because of what you represent," Madara answered gravely. "You and I, and the Uchiha clan that protects this village, we all have great power. And there are many people who fail to realize all of the good that we do for this village, how much better their lives are because of us. Anger and fear are the reaction of the ignorant to power. But the ignorance of the villagers is only to be expected, and you should not let it affect you."

"How can that be? I am not powerful, not like you!"

"But you will become so," Madara said, and the unshakable confidence of his voice almost began to convince Naruto. "Soon you will begin training to become a shinobi, and you will come into your full power."

"But even before you adopted me, when I was alone, I was still hated and ignored by everyone. That couldn't have been because they thought I would become powerful!"

Madara was silent for a moment, and Naruto could have sworn his foster father was hesitating. After several long seconds he exhaled deeply.

"Actually, it _was_ because of your power, Naruto. Power that has nothing to do with your current position."

Naruto realized he was holding his breath. Was he about to learn the reason why he'd been alone for so long?

"It is time you learned this, Naruto. You have obviously seen the seal on your stomach. Its purpose is to seal away a mighty demon, called Kyuubi no Kitsune. The demon attacked Konoha around the same time you were born, but it was vanquished and sealed inside of you. The hatred that you experienced was aimed at the prisoner you carry; survivors cannot forgive you because they remember the fear and destruction wrought by the Kyuubi."

Naruto looked down at his stomach, not sure he could believe what he was hearing. He had a demon inside of him? It was crazy… but it certainly explained the way everyone had seemed to look at him, as if he was a demon in truth.

"But… if I have a demon inside of me…" Naruto trailed off. He had an abomination in his stomach, a horror that lived for destruction. Didn't that make him an abomination too?

"You must understand, Naruto," Madara told him sternly, "that the reactions of the villagers are those of weak, ignorant people. It is entirely irrational to blame you for something that you had no control over; in fact, if it wasn't for you the fox demon might have laid the village entirely to waste. Do you see, now, how stupid and insignificant these villagers truly are? They hated you and feared you when they should have fallen on their knees and worshipped you, naming you their savior. The respect you have now is what you ought to have had all of your life!"

Was it possible that there was nothing wrong with him? That it was the rest of the village, and not him, that was in the wrong? Naruto felt a fierce hope rise inside of him at the prospect, and a smoldering anger that he had controlled so long, which flared up anew with his sense of righteous indignation.

"Compared to you, Naruto," Madara told the boy, "the villagers are no more than ants. As you grow, you will gain strength from the Kyuubi. You will be a shinobi of legend, and all of Konoha will prosper under your guidance."

Naruto felt himself cheering up at Madara's words, but then a thought occurred to him that threatened to destroy his new optimism.

"Is that… is that why you adopted me?" Naruto's voice was no more than a whisper. "Because I had the Kyuubi inside of me?"

"Look at me, Naruto." Naruto raised his eyes hesitantly, until he was looking right at Madara's single uncovered eye.

"It takes a strong will to keep a demon with the strength of the Kyuubi contained, and you demonstrated that strong will by keeping the Kyuubi locked up even when you were a baby. So when you ask me if I adopted you because of the Kyuubi, the answer is no. I took you in for the same reason that the Kyuubi was locked inside of you and not another – because you have a strong will and all the makings of greatness."

Madara pointed a finger at Naruto.

"You are not the demon inside of you. You are its master! And that makes all the difference in the world. Do you understand what it means to be the Hokage?" Madara asked Naruto, surprising him with the sudden question. Naruto just shook his head, guessing that Madara was going to tell him.

"A ruler has to know what is best for his subjects. I am Konoha's master just as you are the Kyuubi's master. In both cases, we must keep strict control or the result will be waste and destruction. When I found you, I knew you were the right person to follow in my footsteps. You are not a demon – you are my son, and the next Hokage!"

A fierce pride and happiness rushed through Naruto.

"I won't let you down, father!" he declared.

"I believe you won't," Madara agreed. "And very soon you will be able to prove your strength to everyone. In a month, the next class of students will begin training to become members of the Konoha Military police. You will enter as a cadet, and train alongside them."

From the tone of Madara's voice, Naruto thought the man might be grinning behind his mask.

"You want to be acknowledged, my son? Forget about the villagers; it is the instructors you will need to impress!"

oOoOo

Baki was having a very bad day. The Kazekage, though never an easy man to work for, had decided to make life very difficult for the senior council member today. Not only did Suna's leader authorize yet another ill-advised assassination (and on his own son, no less!), he had also sent a less-than-diplomatic message to the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Madara.

Baki understood that the Kazekage faced an unenviable position trying to establish Suna's strength in the eyes of the daimyo of the Fire Nation; however, antagonizing the man most rumors claimed to be the strongest shinobi in the world didn't seem like the wisest course. Not that Baki would ever hesitate to carry out his orders. Obedience was the foundation of stability within a Hidden Village. Honor and duty were all that separated shinobi from common thugs, and so he carried out the Kazekage's increasingly erratic orders without complaint.

And without a doubt, Baki's day was only going to get worse. That fact was assured by the white-haired man sitting across from him. Baki had almost had a heart attack when Jiraiya appeared, apparently with the help of a ridiculously advanced jutsu, from a small and innocent-looking toad. Of course, maybe if Baki hadn't been so tired from cleaning up the Kazekage's messes he would have noticed the toad and been better prepared. It wasn't exactly like they were common in the middle of the desert.

Baki knew Jiraiya a little, from dealings in the past. The infamous Sannin was a wanderer, who made sure to look up contacts in the different villages he visited. He had helped Baki out of a tight spot once, and Baki owed him a favor. Enough of one, at least, not to shout "intruder!" at the top of his lungs.

"I'm here with a delicate proposition," Jiraiya announced abruptly. He did a quick sweep around the room, showing how nervous and alert he was. Baki felt himself tensing as well, aware that the man currently staying in his modest quarters was unquestionably one of the most dangerous people alive.

"What can I do for you?" Baki asked warily. He struggled to martial all of his wits.

"Have you received any news, lately, from Konoha? About recent… -events?"

After serving on the Council and working in close concert with the Kazekage, Baki had learned how to keep strict control of his features. So he was able to keep his expression fixed, but only just. If this was going where he thought it might be, things were going to get very interesting indeed…

"Are you referring to the recent bounties placed on six escaped children, the dispossessed heirs to Konoha's shinobi clans?"

"That I might," Jiraiya said, though his direct gaze left Baki with no doubts. "If I knew that anything I told you remained in confidence, then I could tell you more."

"You must know that anything you tell me I would be duty-bound to report to the Kazekage."

Jiraiya dismissed this with an airy wave of his hand.

"Of course, of course. In fact, I hope the Kazekage will find it prudent to take action with regard to my information."

"Well then, I can promise you that I'll take whatever you tell me directly to him."

"Excellent," Jiraiya said. "As you may have guessed by now, I happen to know the whereabouts of these particular children. I also know that they are looking for a safe haven. A place of refuge where they can develop their talents and stay safe from the murderers who killed their families."

"Surely any village willing to take them in would risk making an enemy out of the Uchiha clan," Baki said guardedly. "With their strength, how can you think anyone would be willing to take the risk?"

"The Uchiha would never need to know," Jiraiya answered calmly. "This is a relatively small village, and extremely isolated. I'm sure you are well able to control the flow of information in and out, especially if you have something you want to keep from unfriendly eyes."

Baki barely kept himself from staring suspiciously at the Sannin. Did Jiraiya know about Gaara? The Jinchuuriki was one of Suna's best-kept secrets, even if, at the moment, he was more of an uncontrolled menace than any kind of asset. Still, Baki reflected, Jiraiya was absolutely right. If they wanted to, keeping a few children hidden would be well within the village's capabilities.

"Still," Baki hedged, "all it would take would be one mistake and Konoha would have conceivable justification to declare war."

"They are still new to their power, we both know that. The only shinobi Madara can truly trust are those of the Uchiha clan, even with the Caged Bird Seals keeping the rest obedient. He needs to consolidate his power before he can even think about a costly war with another village. Besides," Jiraiya added, nodding his head sagely, "the other villages are watching Konoha like hawks, waiting to see what Madara will do with his newfound power. They will feel threatened if Konoha reaches out in an attempt at conquest. But I think you know this as well as I do."

Baki nodded his head in assent.

"Perhaps. But what would it profit us to extend our protection to these children? We are no friends of the Third Hokage, to take in his strays out of kindness."

"I never expected you to. But these children are the rightful heirs of Konoha's shinobi clans. Very powerful cards to have in your hand when looking for any leverage with Konoha. Rest assured, Uchiha Madara is a bloodthirsty tyrant who will not brook opposition from other villages. You will find yourself at odds with Konoha soon enough."

Baki reflected unhappily that this was no doubt the case. Even if the Land of Wind's daimyo showed no overt preference for Konoha, the Kazekage would still be unable to ignore the possible threat that the sharingan-users presented. If it ever came to war, these children would be extremely valuable. They might even be the key to toppling the stranglehold the Uchiha clan kept on the clans. Or they would, except for the Uchiha's ace in the hole.

"You've forgotten to mention one thing," Baki pointed out. "Though no one knows the extent to which Uchiha Madara has subjected the shinobi clans to the seals, it is nevertheless a fact that many of Konoha's warriors are little more than slaves. Even if that means that a large portion of Konoha's forces are hostile to the Uchiha clan, and loyal to the children, they wouldn't be able to rebel before Madara activated the seals and blasted their minds out of existence."

"The Caged Bird Seals, while effective in creating fear, can only be activated at the express wishes of a select few. The seals do not control the actions of the people bearing them, nor are they effective as anything more than a punishment. They cannot stop people from planning or executing treason."

Jiraiya looked at Baki for a moment before continuing. "And I am an expert on creating and analyzing seals of all kinds. If you take these children in, I will share with you all of knowledge on the uses and weaknesses of the Caged Bird Seal. My next step after finding safe haven for the children is learning how to remove the seal. In return for training the kids, I'll hand that knowledge over to you. You will have everything you need to assert dominance over Konoha."

That was certainly tempting. Baki could imagine the potential if Suna was able to neutralize the hold that the Uchiha had over the other clans. Add five rightful heirs in order to win the loyalty of those clans, and Uchiha Madara would be facing enemies both inside and outside of his village. It could work.

"And finally, as the icing on the cake, I'll give you the secrets of the Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Nara, Akimichi and Aburame clans. The children will need to study these techniques as they come into their power, but all of the collected knowledge of these clans will be yours. All that I require is that you take in the kids, train them to fight, and guarantee that you will never betray them to Konoha."

Baki could feel his eyes widening a little at this unexpected bonus. He knew the Kazekage would probably leap at the chance to add mind-reading and shadow manipulation to Suna's arsenal, and those were only a few of the vast array of techniques no doubt contained in Jiraiya's scrolls.

"I will bring your request to the Kazekage immediately," Baki promised, standing up and turning to leave. "It would be best if I went to him myself, as he can be… -rather unreasonable, especially in the presence of a shinobi so intimately connected with the Third Hokage. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Wouldn't want to ruffle his feathers. I'll stay here then. But Baki," Jiraiya added, "if the Kazekage accepts, he must treat these children as he would his own. If I find that he takes them in only to sell them to try and curry favor with Madara, I will make it my personal mission to bring him down. And don't think that you or anyone else will be able to stop me."

Baki stared straight into Jiraiya's eyes, a little intimidated in spite of himself by the steely determination he saw in their depths. He nodded curtly and left the building, managing not to betray his thoughts by any change of expression. But inside his thoughts were grim.

_I will deliver these children to the Kazekage because it is in the best interests of my village. But I devoutly hope, for their sakes as well as ours, that he does not treat them like his own._

**A/N: **Many thanks to DigitalTart for great beta work.

I hope you like it so far! If you have any questions about the story, anything that I haven't made clear or that you're curious about, drop me a review and I'll be sure to get back to you. I won't give away plot points, but I might drop hints!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 3**

Baki stood frozen in place, keeping his composure with the greatest difficulty. His weathered face gave nothing away, but inside he felt like shouting his dismay. Still, he let no hint of his emotions out; that would not help him make the Kazekage see reason.

"With respect, sir," Baki ventured after a pregnant pause, "there may be a few… -difficulties with this plan."

The Kazekage took on an amused, knowing look that irritated Baki to no end. The Fourth was roughly a decade older than him, but at times Baki believed his leader was a child still. His first and only priority was the village, but his anger was easily provoked and childishly vindictive. He also had the tendency, especially unfortunate in a ruler, of treating his subordinates' opinions with condescension and disdain.

"Ah yes, Cautious Baki has spotted flaws in my reasoning." The Kazekage let out a long-suffering sigh. "Your recent appointment to the council has certainly made you wise beyond your years, my young friend. But tell me, what are these so-called difficulties?"

He held out his hands as if inviting Baki to speak further. The Sand Jonin was too much of a professional to let himself be affected by the Kazekage's tone, but a less controlled person would have been gritting their teeth. He obviously knew what Baki was referring to – spinning this out was just a twisted game, and Baki had neither the time nor the inclination to humor him.

"Sir, if we put the children from Konoha in that building, it may be difficult to ensure their safety."

The Kazekage smirked back at him, reaching up with one hand to flick his spiky auburn hair to one side.

"And why would that be?"

This time Baki did grit his teeth, with considerable frustration.

"You know as well as I that your s… the vessel and his guardian are the only people to live in that area. No one goes there except for the shinobi who drop off their meals."

The Fourth glared at Baki, angry at him for his near slip. "The _vessel_," he said deliberately, emphasizing the word, "is, as you say, the only living person in that area besides my brother Yashamaru. Moreover the inhabitants of the village would never go near that place for fear of the demon's wrath. It is perhaps the only place in the village where we can be sure without a doubt that the children's location will be kept secret."

"They stay clear for good reason, sir," Baki pointed out, trying without much success to keep the exasperation out of his voice. "The vessel has at best an imperfect control over his power. You yourself have authorized several assassination attempts after the Council declared the experiment a failure. Yashamaru, though a capable shinobi, may not be able to contain the demon. Placing those children so close to it would be nothing more than a death sentence!"

"You're right, Baki," the Kazekage said. "Once we send the orphans from Konoha into that area, the demon will no doubt urge the vessel to attack them. In fact, I'm counting on it."

Baki narrowed his eyes. So there was a plan, even if it did include cold-blooded murder.

"What purpose will killing the children serve, sir? Are you looking to curry favor with Konoha?"

The Kazekage practically snarled.

"I'd rather cut my own heart out than pander to those red-eyed bastards!" he declared angrily. "No, that is not my intention."

"Then what good can possibly come of this?" Baki asked.

"I have already ordered six assassination attempts on the vessel. All have failed. His control of sand is a potent defensive ability, and his bloodlust only grows. I have known for some time that I would need to resort to drastic measures. Once the children get the vessel's attention, he will want to investigate. Seeing children his own age may put him off his guard, at least until the demon begins to ascend. That distraction will allow Yashamaru to finish him once and for all."

Baki was shocked. He regarded the Kazekage with surprise, who stared back with flinty eyes that looked like chips of ice. There was no hint of remorse, even though the Kazekage was admitting that he was sending out to children as bait, in order to give his brother a better opportunity to kill his son. It was monstrous – but then, Baki reflected, it just might be what was necessary to protect the villagers. Gaara was beginning to look more and more out of control, and with each failed assassination attempt it became more likely that he might turn on the village entirely.

In Baki's opinion, though, it might have been better if the Fourth himself carried out the death sentence decreed by the Council. It seemed cowardly to the Sand Jonin to condemn your own flesh and blood to death, and then hand off the contract to petty thugs or – perhaps even worse – other family members. But what the Kazekage did or did not do was no business of Baki's. Shinobi were tools, and nothing more. Honor lay in serving well, and trusting in the Kazekage to do what was best for the village.

"I think I understand, sir," Baki said reluctantly. "But what happens if Yashamaru cannot act in time to keep the children from any harm?"

"Accidents happen, you know that. We agreed to take these children in, which makes them Suna shinobi. They should be honored to take part in an operation for the greater good of the village. They bear the same load that any of us do, and the same risks."

_But I doubt you'll tell the children what they're getting into,_ Baki thought to himself bitterly. _At least we tell our shinobi when they might be heading to their deaths._

"Forgive me, sir," Baki said again, determinedly ignoring the bored look that crossed the Fourth's face. "But what if Yashamaru fails?"

"He will not fail."

"But if he does?" Baki continued doggedly. "If by some mischance he fails to kill the vessel, and the demon lashes out and kills the children?"

"Then," the Kazekage said, "as distressing as it would be for me personally, I fear that the Fifth Hokage would shortly receive six small coffins, along with a note expressing my sincerest apologies. That should buy me some measure of good faith from our unpredictable neighbor. I believe that this is what one might call a _win-win situation_."

It wasn't so much the ease with which the Kazekage contemplated the children's deaths that bothered Baki, since he was not so innocent as to believe that no one was ever sacrificed for the greater good. Rather, it was the cavalier way that the Kazekage dismissed the danger of such barefaced treachery.

"Sir, it is impossible that such an action would not come to the attention of the Toad-Sage Jiraiya. He told me personally that any deliberate harm befalling the children from Konoha would provoke his immediate retaliation."

The Kazekage's face grew red with rage.

"Don't speak to me of that man! He was the Third Hokage's damned spy, and now he dares to threaten me? I'd like to see him try and assault Suna himself – my Gold Dust will rip him apart and scatter his flesh to the four corners of the desert!"

The Fourth Kazekage calmed himself with a visible effort.

"No, Baki, Jiraiya's threats mean nothing to me. It is not my intention that the children should die. They come from strong bloodlines and have the potential to revive five of Konoha's clans in our village. But _if_, and mind you it is not even remotely a possibility, _if _Yashamaru were to fail, I still have the scrolls with Konoha's techniques. Konoha's goodwill isn't as valuable to me as those children alive, but along with the scrolls it would still be better than nothing. Either way, I am satisfied."

With such a clear dismissal, Baki had no choice but to bow his head and leave. But as he walked out of the study, he had a sinking feeling that the Kazekage's "win-win situation" was anything but.

oOoOo

"Listen up," a huge voice boomed, easily filling up the outdoor arena. Naruto winced. He wondered if part of learning to be a ninja included yelling that loud. He didn't see what use it would be, other than shouting at cadets.

The source of the voice was a tall jonin wearing the flak jacket of a Konoha shinobi, with the crest of the Konoha Military Police on his right shoulder. The man was nearing the end of middle age, though he looked fit and kept his graying hair in a military crew cut. He stood with his hands on his hips, facing Naruto and his two yearmates. They were a boy and a girl his own age, though he'd never seen them before today. He supposed they must have lived with their family, and were only now starting their training. Naruto hoped they might become friends.

"I am Uchiha Hansuke, and I will be your training officer. I'd ask your names, but-" Hansuke grinned evilly at them, "I don't care."

"You are here to become cadets in the Konoha Military Police. But until I decide you've earned that honor you're nothing but scum on the bottom of my sandals! You're going to work harder than you've ever worked in your miserable lives, and you're going to like it!"

Naruto couldn't help but flinch a little at the spray of saliva coming from their training officer. Unfortunately, his small movement drew Hansuke's attention.

"Ah yes, the Hokage's son. Tell me, Hokage's son, do you have something to say?"

Naruto shook his head back and forth.

"No, Hansuke-sensei!"

Hansuke nodded grimly.

"Good! Because in this arena you're not the Hokage's son anymore."

_That's right,_ Naruto thought wryly. _I'm scum underneath your sandal._ He had to struggle very hard not to laugh at the image.

"You're just another rookie, and if you don't do what I say when I say then you'll be a dead rookie! Understand?"

"Yes , Hansuke-sensei!" He strained for as much extra height as he could, trying to project the image of a dutiful soldier.

To own the truth, Naruto was more excited than he could remember being. While some might have been intimidated by the training officer's bluster, Naruto could only hope that his threats were the absolute truth. To be just like the people around him, not singled out by any special treatment and not any different in the eyes of the world, sounded to him like his version of heaven. And if he got stronger, that was only a plus.

"Well then," Hansuke said, focusing his attention back on all three of the children, "you know why you're here. You were chosen by your families to become Military Policemen. We are a group of elite shinobi, responsible for overseeing that the law is upheld within Konoha. This badge," he pointed to the four-pointed star with the Uchiha fan inside, "represents our responsibility to the village. The Military Police contains the Uchiha symbol for a reason. The Uchiha are the strongest in the village, and the Military Police are the strongest of the Uchiha. If you do well, you will share in that honor."

Naruto glanced at his teammates, wanting to see how they reacted to this speech. The girl nodded fiercely, sending her shoulder-length black hair bouncing. She wore a triumphant grin, like she couldn't wait to get started. The boy, however, looked almost green. The unhealthy tinge clashed a little with the red marks on his face, two on each cheek. Naruto couldn't understand why he didn't look happier at the prospect of receiving such advanced training.

"Let's begin with a little exercise," Hansuke said, clapping his hands together with a loud smack. "Give me twenty laps around the arena."

Was that all? Naruto was off in a flash, leaving the others in his wake. He regularly outran Military Policemen for fun after his pranks, and there was no way he'd lose a race to these kids.

Twenty laps later, Naruto skidded to a stop in front of Hansuke. The girl was next, and then a lap behind came the second boy. Hansuke didn't miss a beat, but set them more exercises. The morning passed in this way and it wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that the training officer signaled the children to stop.

Naruto took a few deep breaths, waiting for his pulse to settle. He straightened and stood at attention. The other two looked at him in amazement. They were red in the face and thoroughly winded. Naruto could only shrug. Maybe they should try and get more exercise.

"What's the matter, you two, can't keep up with a pampered prince?" Hansuke roared. "Pathetic, the three of you! Now, let's see how badly you mess up taijutsu."

He set them a few yards apart, and walked them through a few basic stances and combinations. They repeated them endlessly, or at least so it seemed to Naruto. He wanted to spar, or at least move his feet a little, but something told him bringing that up to Hansuke would be a quick way to get hurt. So he kept his mouth shut, and focused on timing his strikes perfectly.

After a depressingly long time Hansuke called a halt. Naruto itched to do something more exciting, but he was more than happy to stop when Hansuke told them to grab a quick meal at the compound.

"Report back here in two hours," he roared at the three of them, spraying them with veritable storm of spit. "Then we'll see if you pansies can fight!"

Naruto and his fellow cadets-in-training bowed low, and left the arena to make their way to the police compound. Naruto was already extremely familiar with the area, as it was where he had been living for over a year.

They went into the imposing building and made their way to the dining hall. Seated here and there were older children and adults, some in the uniform of police cadets and others wearing the badge that signified actual policemen. The boy looked like he was about to faint, and even the girl looked slightly apprehensive. Naruto jumped at the opportunity to reassure them.

"It's not a big deal, everybody's so focused on their own meal that they don't pay you any attention."

The boy smiled weakly at Naruto, but the girl scowled at him.

"Who asked you?" she snarled.

Naruto shrugged and led the way to the food line. He heaped his tray full, though he would have traded it all for a single bowl of Ichiraku ramen. Even if the Uchiha were the most prominent clan in the village, barracks food was barracks food.

His classmates followed suit, and they all sat down warily at a small table in the corner. Naruto wanted to dive at the food, but took a moment to introduce himself.

"I'm Naruto," he said, looking hopefully at the other two.

The boy spoke up first. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Takeshi."

He gave Naruto a shy smile, which Naruto returned in spades. This was the first time he could remember when someone his own age had willingly entered a conversation with him.

The girl glared at both of them.

"My name is Akemi." She spat it out like a challenge. "And I'm going to be the best shinobi the clan has ever seen!"

Naruto tried to grin encouragingly.

"I'm going to be a great shinobi one day too! Maybe the three of us will be on the same team."

They started eating, but Naruto felt that Akemi kept staring at him.

"What?" he asked crossly.

"Why did the Hokage adopt you?" she blurted out. "My parents told me not to talk to you before. Everybody hated you. But now you're the Hokage's son. And you're not even an Uchiha!"

Naruto felt extremely uncomfortable. He didn't want to tell anyone about the demon inside of him. He wasn't even sure he'd come to grips with it himself, and there was no telling how these kids would react if he told them the truth. He couldn't bear it if they looked at him with hatred in their eyes. Even Akemi's aggressive questioning was the kind of interaction he craved, and he didn't want to drive either of his classmates away.

"He told me he was lonely too," Naruto said. Madara's words that day on the playground still resonated with him. He treasured that memory as one of the happiest of his life. "He understood how I felt, being hated and ignored. And he said he knew I was going to be powerful one day. That I could make a good leader."

Akemi looked like she didn't believe him, but didn't ask further. She went back to her food and stopped staring. This time it was Takeshi who looked at him.

"That's like me," he whispered. Then he blushed fiercely. "I mean, the Hokage didn't adopt me. And I probably won't be powerful. But I'm… I was lonely, too."

He blushed even more and looked fixedly at his food. Naruto hesitated, but put his hand on Takeshi's shoulder.

"We're going to be training together every day. Let's be friends!"

Takeshi nodded shyly. Akemi just snorted.

Unfazed, Naruto sent another smile in her direction.

"So are you both from the Uchiha clan?"

"Of course," Akemi said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Only Uchiha are allowed in the Military Police."

Naruto nodded, but he was pretty sure he'd seen a few people eating in the barracks who weren't wearing the jackets with the Uchiha fan on the back. Then again, that didn't mean they weren't Uchiha.

Takeshi looked ashamed.

"I'm only half. My mom was from the Inuzuka clan."

"And they let you in?" Akemi curled her lip in a disdainful sneer. Naruto wanted to hit her in the face, but Takeshi didn't act like he was offended by the question.

"My dad asked them to take me. If I don't get the sharingan, then they'll kick me out. I'll have to get the… -the seal. My dad thought I'd be more likely to awaken my sharingan if I had the extra training to be a cadet."

"Oh, you're a _charity case_. I hope you're not on my team," Akemi said.

"You'll do fine, Takeshi," Naruto said, shooting a glare at the abrasive girl. "I'm only here because my father asked them to take me, too. But that doesn't mean I won't be the best shinobi on the force! Believe it!"

"Thanks, Naruto," Takeshi said, but his tone let Naruto know he wasn't convinced. "It's just - your dad is the Hokage! If he thought you were going to be strong, you definitely will be. But I might not even be a real Uchiha. And even if I don't get my sharingan, I can't live with the Inuzuka. I'll get sealed, and have to live on my own."

Naruto was at a loss. He wanted to say something to cheer up the other boy, but he couldn't think of anything that might work. He wondered what was so bad about having the seal. Every shinobi except for the Uchiha and Naruto himself seemed to have the same seal, a cross with two lines on either side, so what was so bad about it? Although, Naruto reflected, getting kicked out of your clan was plenty bad enough. It didn't seem fair.

"Hey, aren't the Inuzukas the ones who run around with _dogs_?" Akemi asked. "Maybe you should just get a dog instead of pretending to be a cadet."

"Hey, that doesn't sound too bad," Naruto said thoughtfully. "Except for the pretending to be a cadet part. I've always wanted a dog. Why don't you have one, Takeshi?"

Takeshi looked even more miserable.

"Father won't let me. He says it's for my own good. If I want to be a real Uchiha, I can't do what other clans do."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"Wouldn't you be stronger with a ninja dog? They're big, and I've heard they're really good in a fight!"

"Not if I don't get my sharingan," Takeshi responded. "It doesn't matter to the clan how strong I am, if I can't prove I belong by using the clan techniques."

Naruto mulled this over in silence for a while. It didn't make sense to him. What difference could having a dog make in whether or not Takeshi got the sharingan or not? And if Takeshi's dad was so dead-set against him showing his Inuzuka blood, why did he marry an Inuzuka in the first place? Just thinking about it made his head hurt.

"Not that your pathetic life story isn't _fascinating_," Akemi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "but we need to get going soon or Hansuke-sensei is going to kill us."

Damn, he'd lost track of the time! Naruto looked down at his tray, which still held over half a plate of food. He wasn't about to let it go to waste.

He inhaled the remainder of his meal in seconds. Takeshi watched in silent awe, while Akemi turned away with disgust.

"There!" Naruto said triumphantly, slamming the chopsticks down on the tray. "Now we can go!"

Akemi got up first and led the way to the tray drop-off, followed close behind Naruto and Takeshi. On the way Akemi bumped hard into a girl about her own age, who was wearing an apron and dragging a heavy mop across the floor.

"Hey," Naruto cried out, "she's trying to work! No need to shove." Akemi didn't even turn around, but started putting away her dishes.

He knelt down and helped the girl up to her feet. She didn't raise her head, but he could see that she had the clear white eyes of a Hyuuga. Her hair had blue highlights where the light hit it.

"Sorry about that. Are you ok?"

The servant girl only nodded furiously. Naruto thought he saw her cheeks turn a furious red. Then he noticed that Akemi and Takeshi had already left the building.

"Hey guys, wait up!"

He sprinted out of the Military Police compound, the girl with black hair and white eyes already forgotten.

oOoOo

Sasuke had a lot of experience with his brother's moods. It was impossible to spend every day in the company of one other person and not get to know their little quirks, their patterns of behavior. It was this experience that enabled Sasuke to make the following observation: Itachi was acting strange.

His brother was never what anyone would call _normal_; or at least, normal for Itachi was what others might consider aloof, cold, even inscrutable. But today he seemed nervous, or perhaps hesitant. Sasuke caught his brother shooting quick glances at him, never holding his gaze but always looking at him again a few minutes later. It was extremely distracting, and made for awkward traveling.

Finally, a few minutes after they stopped to make camp, Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore.

"What?" he shouted suddenly.

Itachi looked startled, which only irritated Sasuke more. His brother was _never_ startled.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" he demanded. "I feel like an exploding tag about to go off."

Itachi sighed, and busied himself setting up a makeshift tent.

"I should have guessed you'd pick up on it. Your eyes see more and more these days, Sasuke."

Sasuke felt a surge of pride, but he wasn't about to let himself be distracted by compliments. He put his hands on his hips, and waited.

"All right," Itachi continued. "I've been arguing with myself. There's something I'm not sure you're ready to hear, but I don't know if I can justify keeping it from you any longer."

"Is it about why we left Konoha?" Sasuke asked. He knew that his brother had been forced to run, which mean that whatever had happened in Konoha had been disastrous. His brother was the strongest shinobi he knew; even father admitted that.

"Yes. Now just listen, and keep quiet until the end. This is not a story I want to have to repeat."

Sasuke nodded, watching his brother assume the look he so often wore, the one that meant he was looking at the past. It gave Sasuke chills to think he was about to find out what his brother was seeing when he looked like that.

"When I was made an ANBU captain, our parents were extremely proud of me. Father believed that I was the hope of the clan, destined to bring us to greater heights than ever before. But I never wanted that. I wanted only to protect the village, to do my best to keep Konoha from ever experiencing the evils of war again.

"In time, my duties began to drive me apart from the family, and the clan. I wasn't allowed to share details of my missions, and I was caught between my clan on the one side, and my superiors on the other. Before long, my commanding officer told me that there was a faction within the Uchiha clan that wanted more power than the Hokage was willing to give them. So I was told to spy on my own clan. I found out that it was true – many of our strongest shinobi were actively planning treason."

Sasuke felt his stomach drop. He knew there was a reason why Itachi kept saying they were outcasts, but it was one thing to accept that they'd had to leave and another to believe that his entire clan had turned traitor.

"About that time," Itachi continued, "I was approached by a mysterious shinobi. He claimed to be Uchiha Madara, the founder of our clan. He said he would grant me power, if I decided to follow him. I could act as his right hand and lead the Uchiha clan to greatness. He wanted to overthrow the Hokage and rule Konoha in his place. I refused.

"I could have gone to my superiors first, as was my duty. But at that moment I thought I could save those in our clan who had no desire for conquest. My plan was to gather everyone loyal to Konoha and bring the news of Madara's plans to the Hokage. But I was too late. Madara already convinced the others to rebel. And I picked the wrong Uchiha to warn."

Sasuke was filled with a terrible certainty. "Father…"

Itachi nodded grimly.

"Yes. He always talked to me of duty, and I thought foolishly that he, out of all of us, might still be loyal to Konoha. But when I talked to him, he tried to trap me with power given to him by Madara. I barely managed to escape with my life. Before leaving I found you in the practice fields, and you know the rest. With Madara leading the way, the Uchiha takeover went off without a hitch. The Hokage, the Council, the clan heads… all dead."

Sasuke was still trying to get his around the idea of his father trying to kill Itachi. Fugaku had always been cold towards Sasuke, but he had practically idolized Itachi. He couldn't imagine his father trying to kill anyone, really. Fugaku was harsh and demanding, but a killer?

Still, Itachi wasn't lying. The pain in his voice reverberated with all the poignancy of bitter memories.

"Is… -is Mother a traitor, too?" That was an even harder idea for Sasuke to entertain than his father being a killer.

"No, Sasuke. Father killed her. He sacrificed her for power."

The breath left Sasuke's lungs as if he'd been hit in the stomach with a club.

"No…" It was too much to take in. How could it be true? His mother dead, and killed by her own husband.

"No matter how horrifying, it is the truth. Nor was she the only one to die that night, Sasuke."

For a moment Sasuke hated Itachi, hated that he could say it so easily, that he would even _think_ of marginalizing their mother's death. But no sooner did he feel that flash of anger than it disappeared, replaced by understanding.

This was what Itachi had to live with. This was the source of his guilt. With that realization came a sudden intuition, a suspicion backed up by his strong understanding of his brother.

"You're going back." It was not a question.

"Yes, Sasuke. I don't know if telling the Hokage immediately would have done any good. I'll never know. But I won't abandon Konoha. Not again."

"That's why you've been pushing me so hard. Why you wanted me to get the sharingan. It's so we can go back and free the village!"

Itachi looked up sharply, focusing his attention on Sasuke.

"Absolutely not! You will not be coming. I am teaching you so you can live your life, not throw it away. When you no longer need my protection, I will leave you and go back to Konoha."

"No way!" Sasuke shouted. "You'll need my help! You said you couldn't beat this Madara guy on your own."

"Maybe I won't," Itachi said evenly. "But I must try. You, however, owe nothing to the village. And I didn't bring you away from the village so you could die senselessly."

Sasuke's shock was beginning to wear off, and he was growing well and truly angry.

"So _that's_ what you were talking about after I got my sharingan! All that crap about betraying the ones you love by leaving. It wasn't just about the village, was it? You were trying to prepare me for when you leave _me_! Just so you can die fighting somebody you were too weak to stop the first time. Well, I made a promise to myself a long time ago to stay with you. And if you try to leave me behind, I'll head straight to Konoha myself. Maybe I won't botch the job like you did!"

Sasuke realized he was shouting by the end, and broke off in order to get a hold of himself.

Itachi looked at him sorrowfully. "I know I can't make you do anything, Sasuke. But please, reconsider. This isn't your fight."

"It's my clan, too," Sasuke pointed out. "If it's your job to punish them for betraying the village, it's my job too. And if you have the right to sacrifice yourself for the village, then I also have that right! So stop talking about how it's certain death, and let's figure out how to free the village and survive."

"Are you sure about this, Sasuke? There's a chance, close to a certainty, that if you choose to walk this road with me you'll end up fighting family. Can you look me in the eyes, and say you would be able to kill your father? "

Sasuke didn't have to think about it.

"He killed mother," he said, conviction in his voice. "And he tried to kill you. I could do it. I will do it."

Itachi shook his head.

"I won't waste my breath trying to convince you. But here's my caveat. I will not let you accompany me to Konoha until you can beat me in a sparring match, no holds barred. Until then I will not be responsible for sending you to your death."

"That sounds fair," Sasuke agreed. "How about we start now?"

Itachi got up and gave Sasuke a long look. After a long moment he seemed to come to a decision. He nodded once to himself, decisively.

"So be it."

oOoOo

There was a slight tension in the room, hovering subtly in the air between the children from Konoha on one side, and the children from Suna on the other. They stood uncomfortably and though there were chairs in the room for their convenience, none seemed willing to give up the psychological advantage of height. To Sakura, the silence seemed to harden into an invisible cape, pressing down on her head and shoulders and getting in the way of her breathing.

_Maybe if they weren't so… -so scary-looking, _Sakura reflected. Indeed, the other children were intimidating, and not just because they were older and bigger than her yearmates from Konoha. The boy was dressed all in black, and his face was partially covered with war paint. The top of his body-length suit ended in two sharp points roughly where his ears would have been, and Sakura found herself wondering if maybe the boy had animal ears, perhaps some fearsome physical modification in order to hear better.

The girl, while much more normal-looking than her male counterpart, looked perhaps even more frightening. The lack of make-up made her scowl even more apparent, and Sakura didn't doubt that the other girl was capable of violence. She, unlike the younger boy next to her, had a Sand hitai-ite around her neck like a scarf and held herself with a restrained ferocity that indicated shinobi training.

All in all, it was very clear to Sakura that they were in a new village. She wondered if everyone they met was going to size them up like this.

"So…" the black-clad boy broke the silence, "I'm Kankuro." He waved an arm at the blond girl. "This is my sister Temari. We're the Kazekage's children."

Kiba opened his mouth first, which didn't surprise Sakura at all since the brash kid tried to be first at everything. He felt that it was his job to protect and speak for all of them, no doubt a built-in instinct to protect his "pack." What did surprise Sakura was Temari turning her formidable scowl on Kankuro and swatting him with the big fan she carried slung under her arm. He yelped and fended off her attack with one arm.

"What was that for?" he demanded, glaring at his sister.

Temari glared right back.

"Don't speak for me! You might be a _boy_, but you haven't even started training yet. I can introduce myself!"

Sakura smiled in spite of herself, and felt the tension recede from her clenched fists. They sounded a little like Shikamaru and Ino during one of their spats.

"Didn't look like you were going to!" Kankuro taunted. "You were just standing there with your stupid scowl."

"Watch it you!"

In a few seconds Kankuro was sporting as many bruises, and Temari turned to the Konoha children with a satisfied smirk.

"Hi, everybody. I'm Temari, the Kazekage's oldest daughter. Who are you?"

Kiba managed to introduce himself first, but eventually all six of Sakura's yearmates had introduced themselves and shook hands with the Suna children. Sakura felt secure enough to edge toward one of the seats and sit down. Everyone followed her lead, and she felt happy to have done her part towards making everyone comfortable.

Temari looked at them all soberly.

"We heard about your village, and your… -parents," she said softly. "We're really sorry." Kankuro nodded his agreement.

"It had nothing to do with you," the normally silent Shino spoke up. "But your sympathy is appreciated."

"What happened to you guys?" Kankuro asked curiously.

"Kankuro!" Temari scolded. "That's rude!"

Ino had cracked a small smile when Temari took their side, but held out a hand in an appeasing gesture.

"No, we can tell you. It's painful, but we talked about it enough together."

Sakura nodded to herself. During their year of captivity the six children had only had each other to talk to. Their shared fears and hopes had formed a strong bond while preparing them for the worst, and when Jiraiya had told them the truth of the uprising they had been able to bear it. It wasn't anything they hadn't in some way anticipated, even if they couldn't have admitted it to themselves.

"When the Uchiha clan took over Konoha, they made sure that the heads of the powerful clans wouldn't get a chance to resist," Ino explained. "They… -they killed them, and locked up their children as hostages. We're all the sons and daughters of clan leaders."

"Except for me," Sakura interjected honestly. "My father's a merchant, with lots of connections in other villages."

Ino looked slightly annoyed at the interruption.

"Right, well we were all kept as hostages for a year. But then Jiraiya rescued us, and brought us here."

"Where your dad decided to let us stay," Choji jumped in. "We're really grateful!"

Ino glared daggers at Choji. Loathe as she was to admit that her best friend might be less than perfect, Sakura had to admit that her Ino did like to be the center of attention.

"Jiraiya?" repeated Temari curiously. "Who's he?"

"He's a super-strong shinobi who uses toads," Ino said with a laugh. "He freed us and helped us cross the desert. Without him we'd still be trapped in Konoha."

"Where is he now?"

Shikamaru's quiet drawl cut off Ino as she drew breath.

"He's back fighting to free Konoha. To avenge our parents and kill the Uchiha."

There was a silence as everybody looked at Shikamaru. Temari and Kankuro both got very thoughtful looks on their faces. Then Kankuro seemed to have an idea. He smiled at Shikamaru.

"Well our dad hates Konoha too!" he said brightly. "I'm sure we're going to help you free your village!"

In spite of himself, Shikamaru grinned. Sakura thought it looked almost as feral as Kiba's smiles.

"I look forward to it."

Temari looked mildly uncomfortable, and tried to change the subject.

"We heard you're going to live in Suna from now on. Do you know where you're going to stay?"

"Not yet," Ino answered. "Before they left us here with you, our escort said they'd be back to take us to our new home."

"Ah," Temari said knowingly. "That's why they made us play host. This is the Kazekage's compound; they must be getting orders from our father."

"You'll like living in Suna," Kankuro assured them with a grin. "It's a rough place, but you shouldn't have any trouble. Seems like you've been through enough already, so a little desert won't hurt you. Just watch out for the child-eating demon!"

Sakura's eyes widened. Was he serious? There was a demon in the village?

Temari turned abruptly to her brother.

"Kankuro!" she snapped. Her sharp tone was completely different from the mock anger she had displayed during the introductions earlier.

He seemed to realize she wasn't joking.

"Sorry, sis," he said contritely.

"What do you mean, _demon?_" Choji asked nervously. His voice quavered slightly, and he seemed to be turning a little green.

"Nothing," Temari said shortly. "Just a stupid story the villagers tell to keep babies from misbehaving."

Shino eyed Temari speculatively.

"Forgive me," he said in his usual uninflected voice, "but your earlier reaction hardly seems appropriate if this demon is only an old wives' tale."

Temari glared at him, but when he only held her gaze with his dark glasses she seemed to deflate.

"There… -there is a demon," she admitted finally. "The Kazekage sealed it into a child years ago, so our village would be more powerful. But it sometimes… -got out of control. You don't have to worry," she assured them hurriedly, "the demon's vessel lives far away from other villagers, and his guardian keeps close watch. You won't be in any danger."

Kankuro sighed gustily and shook his head.

"You might as well tell them, sis. They're going to find out anyway."

He looked at Sakura's yearmates with what seemed to Sakura a very uncharacteristic seriousness for the Suna boy.

"The demon is sealed inside of our brother."

There was a shocked silence, then…

"What the HELL?" Sakura was as surprised as the rest to find that it was her voice shattering the silence. But that didn't stop her from speaking her mind.

"You said you the _Kazekage_ sealed the demon into a child. So he put a demon into his own _son?_ That's despicable!" Ino nodded in fierce assent.

Temari looked slightly ashamed, but Kankuro shrugged.

"That's the price of power," he said, though Sakura was sure he wasn't nearly as cavalier about the entire thing as he was acting.

"How can you say that about your own brother?" Sakura demanded.

"We never really knew him," Kankuro said quietly. Sakura was getting more and more angry, actually beginning to see red. Temari held up a hand to gain her attention.

"You don't understand. Gaara is dangerous. He's hurt people, because he can't control his demon. If you get too close the demon might lash out. He might be our brother, but he's dangerous to everyone around him."

She met Sakura's gaze levelly, with a hint of steel.

"You're right that it was cruel to do that to a child. I won't defend my father's actions. But it's not our place to question him now. You don't survive in Suna if you can't put the good of the village first, and follow orders. That's our ninja code."

Sakura was angrier than ever at the Kazekage. And she knew by looking around the room that her yearmates were of one mind. For a father to do that to his child, out of nothing more than the pursuit of power, was truly monstrous. Sakura was sure her friends felt that all the more since they had all so recently lost everyone they loved. The idea that the children from Suna, and this poor Gaara, actually had a father who cared for them so little; well, it made Sakura ache inside. While she knew that they owed their safety and possibly even their lives to the Kazekage, she hoped that she might never meet him. She didn't trust herself to stay silent.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Kankuro said in an effort to calm down the tensions running high.

"I'm not," Shikamaru declared. Sakura looked at her teammate, surprised by the strange response. His eyes had a dangerous glint, and his mouth was curved up in the not-quite-grimace that Sakura had learned meant he was thinking very hard.

Before anyone could ask Shikamaru what he was talking about, the large doors behind them swung open. A stocky man with light war paint and half of his face covered by some kind of turban entered the room.

"If you'll please follow me," he said to the children formerly of Konoha. Sakura could have sworn that his eyes held a touch of remorse, though for the life of her she could not have guessed why.

"I will show you to your new home."

oOoOo


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Among other developments, this chapter will introduce Gaara's uncle Yashamaru. In canon we are not told how old Gaara is when his uncle tries to kill him; instead, we only know that Yashamaru is the last in a long line of would-be assassins. After Yashamaru, Gaara tattoos himself with the "love" kanji and swears to never care for anyone again. In this story, the orphans from Konoha arrive in Suna a few days before the Kazekage orders Yashamaru to kill Gaara. If I'm wrong and Gaara's age is actually given somewhere in canon, please drop me a review and let me know.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 4**

"Get up, Sasuke," Itachi's calm voice brought Sasuke abruptly out of his dream, in which red eyes stared at him and his father's voice echoed in the darkness. "Today we're going to do something new."

Sasuke sat up, stifling a yawn. He was used to rising early, since every sunrise brought with it renewed danger. However, what with Itachi's revelations only a few days before, Sasuke had been sleeping extremely poorly. In his dreams he relived the Uchiha uprising as Itachi had described it, his subconscious supplying details that his brother had omitted.

He saw his mother, her face exactly as he remembered it, only covered in blood and staring at him with accusing eyes. He heard his father laughing evilly, standing over Itachi's mangled corpse. He felt the blades piercing his own body, digging deep into his own flesh.

It was a nightly hell that Sasuke did not want to share with Itachi. His brother lived with enough guilt already, and Sasuke didn't want to add to that burden. But looking in Itachi's eyes, which were soft with sympathy that went unspoken, Sasuke knew Itachi understood. He no doubt lived with the same dreams, only worse for being based in actual memory.

"What are we doing?" Sasuke asked. "Are you going to teach me more jutsus?"

"No. For now, you've learned as many techniques as you will need for a while. A skilled ninja uses the simplest tools to accomplish a task, and the tools you already have are enough to get you through most danger, as long as you are quick on your feet. Today, we're going to take the first step toward our goal."

Sasuke cocked his head quizzically.

"You mean going back to Konoha?"

"Yes," Itachi replied. "It is time we left the wilderness. While I was training you it was best that we lived alone. There are no distractions in the wild, and less danger of discovery. But you have come a long way, and it's time to start working toward returning to Konoha. We need to establish ourselves somewhere relatively safe, where we can begin gathering information."

By this time Sasuke was out of his bedroll and ready to break camp.

"So we're going to a new village? Then let's get going already!"

Itachi shook his head, and his eyes crinkled with amusement at his brother's impatience.

"What do you think would happen, if we were to walk into a new town as we are? It wouldn't be a week before word reached Konoha that the rogue Uchiha have finally surfaced. We need to settle down, for a few years at least, if we want to attain a position of strength. We need information, experience, and allies. In order to get them, we're going to have to create new identities for ourselves. And that," Itachi concluded, "is what we're going to begin today."

Sasuke nodded slowly as realization dawned. His brother must have accepted that Sasuke was not going to let him take on Konoha alone. Otherwise he would never have decided to risk exposure so soon.

Itachi wouldn't answer any more of Sasuke's questions, but instead proceeded to pack everything and hide the remaining traces of their camp. Only when they were both ready to leave did he begin his lesson.

"One reason that our next step requires so much preparation is that, because of who we are, our disguise cannot be as simple as dying our hair or changing our voices. Every aspect of our fighting screams 'Uchiha,' from our sharingan to the modified taijutsu that our clan developed generations ago. If we are going to pass as shinobi from another village, you will need to learn the discipline to fight without your sharingan. More than that, you must commit yourself to your new identity so fully that, even in the heat of battle, you do not let slip any abilities that might give you away."

The idea was strange to Sasuke. It hadn't been that long since he'd awakened his sharingan, but fighting without it made him feel strange, as if he had one arm tied behind his back. Viewing the world with his sharingan activated made him feel complete. Going without it for years on end, as Itachi seemed to be saying would be necessary, would be extremely difficult.

"It will be difficult to fight without your sharingan," Itachi confirmed, having guessed Sasuke's reservations from his expression. "But relying on our bloodline is a failing that has killed too many of our clan, regardless of the need to operate covertly. It will be good training to restrict yourself to a certain set of techniques. Shinobi are often required to operate under an assumed identity, and the abilities of our sharingan actually make us very well suited to mimicking other styles."

Sasuke nodded acceptance, but still felt a little disgruntled. He'd paid in blood for his sharingan, and before he even really got to enjoy its use he had to give it up. It wasn't fair.

"Who will we disguise ourselves as?"

"I've been thinking about that," Itachi answered. "And I believe it is best if we play to our strengths. I am proficient with fire and water techniques, while you show an affinity with fire and lighting. Fire is associated with Konohagakure, and especially with the Uchiha clan; for that reason, I think it best if we pretend that our secondary affinity is in fact our only affinity. So lighting techniques only for you, and water for me. Luckily the two work well together, so our combat options won't suffer very much."

"But that's just how we fight, not who we're pretending to be," Sasuke pointed out.

"True. But Kumogakure is famed for their mastery of lightning techniques, and water style is not uncommon there either. Therefore our techniques will reinforce our story that we come from Kumo. We could also pretend to be Kiri shinobi, but since we're going be closer to Kiri land than Kumo it will be better to claim we come from the latter."

"All right, so we're from Kumo. Great. But you haven't taught me any lighting techniques!" Sasuke paused. "Wait a minute… -you use fire and water techniques. Do you even know any lighting jutsus?"

"You're forgetting about our sharingan, Sasuke. Just because my affinities are fire and water doesn't mean I can't analyze every technique used against me. Your sharingan is not at that level yet, but it will be. And with the techniques I've gathered, I can teach you enough to easily pass as a Kumo runaway. All you need are the hand-seals and a lot of practice. Luckily, we have plenty of time. Konoha isn't going anywhere."

Sasuke eyed Itachi uneasily.

"So your plan of entering another village won't start until…" he trailed off, imagining how long it might take until Itachi was satisfied with his performance.

"That's right. We'll keep moving until you talk, walk, fight, and even think like Isamu, formerly of Kumogakure."

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh.

"I like my name better. Anyway… -you said something about hand-seals? The sooner we start, the sooner I can finally sleep in a proper bed!"

oOoOo

Suna was not a large village. Carved as it was into the very earth, with buildings hewn from massive quantities of sandstone, there wasn't much room for broad thoroughfares or open spaces. The surrounding desert did not allow for much in the way of farming, so all the available unpopulated area was devoted to eking out precious resources from the unforgiving soil. For this reason, it was rare to see any part of the village that wasn't overflowing with people, filled to capacity and bustling with life.

But there was one block in Suna that was the exception to the rule. The sun beat down on empty houses, and the harsh, dry wind kicked up sand in the empty street. If someone walked through they might imagine they'd entered a ghost town. They would be wrong. The street was not home to ghosts, but to a demon.

In the middle of the block stood a house, which looked exactly like all the others lining the street. What set it apart were the people who lived inside.

Every day, like clockwork, a pair of jonin appeared in front of that house, each one carrying a covered basket. They would leave the baskets lying in the middle of the street, and leave without looking back. Though they never ran, their faces always showed a slight amount of fear, and the tension never left their bodies until they were back at base.

That was how it went. Day after day, month after month. It was a routine as reliable and unchanging as the journey of the sun from east to west. But that day the pattern was broken.

Gaara lifted his head suddenly, sensing the approach of many pairs of feet. His affinity with sand allowed him to sense the presence of others, as long as they were in contact with the source of his power. The two jonin had already delivered the next day's food, so it couldn't be them. It could be his uncle, but he had told Gaara that he wouldn't be back until the next day.

Gaara's uncle Yashamaru often left him to fend for himself. He wouldn't mind so much, except that Mother's voice sometimes got louder when Gaara was alone. He shuddered, thinking of the voice that ruled his dreams and made so many of his waking hours a nightmare. It spoke with vicious satisfaction of blood and carnage, and turned Gaara's own blood cold in his veins.

He dreaded the times when he couldn't control the hate, and made bad things happen. The six men who had tried to kill him had all died screaming, but then, they had attacked first. He had sensed their intent when the sand rose almost of its own accord, first to defend him and then to crush the life out of his attackers. Much, much worse than the memory of those men were the times when people ran from him, when they turned away and called him "demon."

Gaara felt his muscles tense as the footsteps came closer. The vibrations grew stronger, as the group walked closer to his house. Maybe it was more men trying to hurt him. They'd tried so many times already and failed, maybe they decided to send a large group to finish the job.

_Kill them all,_ whispered a gleeful voice in his mind. _Let the sand drink in their blood, and grow strong!_

The small front door of the house opened onto the street, and Gaara walked out to meet his unexpected visitors. Small ripples of sand flared up in his wake, in response to the growing anger.

Six children around his own age stared back at him twenty yards down the street. Behind them was an older man wearing a turban and a hitai-ite. Even as the children started to size each other up, the adult shinobi came to an abrupt stop.

"This is where I leave you," he said, his voice utterly expressionless. Then he disappeared with a pop and Gaara was left staring distractedly at the six young faces.

"Baki-sama!" yelled one boy, the chubbiest out of the group.

"What? Why did he leave?" asked a blond girl in confusion.

Most of the children had whirled around to stare in vain at the spot where the older man had just been, but a boy with dark hair sticking up in a ponytail kept his eyes fixed on Gaara.

"It must be because we've met the person who's supposed to show us the rest of the way," he drawled. The rest turned back around, looking at Gaara with varying degrees of curiosity.

"He's _tiny_," said a boy with red marks on his face, and a small white dog on top of his head. Perhaps he had meant to whisper, but the sound easily carried down the empty street.

The blond girl slapped him in the back of the head. "Be nice! We'll probably be living together, don't mess it up by making him mad on the first day!"

A girl with bright pink hair came forward, one hand raised in greeting.

"Hi there! We were told to come here, to find the place where we're going to live."

The rest of the group followed in her wake, stopping right in front of Gaara.

"I'm Sakura," the pink-haired girl said shyly. "These are Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Shino and Kiba." She pointed out each one as she said their names.

Ino and Choji gave friendly smiles, while Kiba mostly bared his teeth. Shino used one hand to adjust the high collar of his jacket. Shikamaru just watched Gaara, speculation written plainly across his face.

For his part, Gaara was completely at a loss. Such casual introductions were unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. Why weren't they running away from him? He saw no fear, only bright, open curiosity. It left him stunned.

"Are you ok?" Sakura looked at him for a moment, concerned. That broke him out of his trance. He swallowed, realizing with some surprise that his throat was dry. What was this feeling in his stomach, all fluttery and strange?

He opened his mouth but stumbled over the first few words. He and Yashamaru often went a long time without speaking, and his voice sounded strange to his own ears.

"I'm Gaara," he said.

To his dismay he saw recognition wash over their features, followed almost immediately by an emotion with which he was all too familiar. Fear.

Choji blanched visibly. "Isn't that the name of the de-" He didn't finish his sentence as Shikamaru's heel dug into the part of his foot unprotected by his sandal.

"Steady there, Choji," Shikamaru said to his friend.

But Gaara could see he had ruined things. They weren't any different from the other villagers, they just hadn't known who he was before he opened his mouth. Now they would turn away from him just like the rest, and he would be alone again.

His eyes stung and his vision grew a little hazy. He could hear Mother's voice get louder, as if in reaction to his increasing shame and hurt.

_That smell! Fresh blood!_ Gaara shuddered violently, trying to shake off the voice and the visions it brought to his mind, of his sand rising up and squeezing the other children until they burst like overripe grapes. He clenched his hands tightly, shaking his head to try and get rid of the images.

In front of him Sakura froze like a deer in front of a lantern. Her mouth opened in shock and her eyes fixed on something above and behind Gaara.

"Watch out!" she screamed. She lunged forward and pushed him backwards. Gaara was so startled that he didn't even have time to activate his defenses, and fell hard on the sand. Three kunai flew through the air where he had been standing, one slicing across the top of Sakura's forearm. Dark blood dripped from the thin, red line scoring her flesh. Gaara watched as it fell, seemingly in slow motion, to the ground. Mother's voice screamed in his head, crazed by the presence of blood nearby.

oOoOo

Hinata's shoulders ached abominably. And her back. No, scratch that. _Everything_ ached. She shifted on her hard cot, trying to find some position that might ease her protesting muscles.

_I should be used to this by now, _Hinata thought miserably. But even with over a year of experience, twelve-hour days spent scrubbing and cooking and bowing took their toll. She wasn't big or strong like the adults of her clan, but she had to work just as hard. That was the fate of the Main branch of the Hyuuga clan.

From the neighboring cot came the sound of Hanabi's quiet breathing. Hinata felt a pang of sympathy for her youngest sister. She was only three, and far too young to understand what had happened to her father. She still occasionally said "papa," one of the first words she'd ever spoken. Hinata remembered how proud Hiashi had been when he heard that, how happy he had seemed. Now Hanabi's voice just sent cold spears of agony shooting through Hinata's heart, reviving memories she wished she could forget.

Her father's body, lying cold on the wooden floor. Her grandfather beside him, eyes staring glassily at nothing. Hinata screaming, struggling against the grip of her captors.

The images were worn around the edges, not quite as vivid as they had been months before. Still, every night without fail, Hinata suffered through her memories of the night her life had changed forever.

Sometimes, when Hinata was scrubbing the floors of Madara's Tower, she looked at herself in the bucket of water. It was her own face that looked back at her, but smaller, more fearful. And across her forehead, partially hidden by her bangs, the symbol of her new status.

The Caged Bird Seal stretched completely across Hinata's forehead, as it did every remaining member of the Hyuga Main Branch. Hinata had never been comfortable with the idea of the Branch family. Her cousin Neji had grown up without a father because of the obedience owed by the Branch family. Every time she saw him she felt guilty, but could never express that guilt. After all, the heiress of the Hyuga clan does not apologize to those beneath her. That was what her father had always taught her.

There was a part of Hinata that wondered if this was a punishment upon her clan. Maybe they deserved to experience slavery because of how they'd always treated the Branch family. Not only that, but the Caged Bird seal was now used on all shinobi not of the Uchiha. The entire village had become the Branch family to the Uchiha's Main branch.

Hinata knew it was wrong to curse the dead, but she couldn't help hating her father and ancestors for ever creating the seal in the first place. Without the seal, perhaps the Uchiha wouldn't have been able to maintain control of the village. As a Hyuga, Hinata felt terribly guilty in the part her family had played in the village's downfall.

Now Hinata lived a life of servitude, along with the surviving members of the Hyuga Main branch. Neji had explained the reasons to her once, a few weeks after her father's death. Hinata had been almost out of her mind with grief, Hanabi being one of the only reasons she'd kept herself together. Perhaps he'd pitied his younger cousin, who was only know experiencing the loss he'd lived with his entire life.

Whatever the reason, he'd taken Hinata aside and told her what would be expected of her. She was no longer a shinobi, just a symbol of the power of the Uchiha clan. There were some people who claimed that the Uchiha clan, and its sharingan eye, were offshoots of the Hyuga clan. In making the Main branch servants, the Uchiha were establishing their dominance in the village. Members of the Branch family were still able to fight, simply because their byakugan was too powerful an ability to waste. But those unlucky enough to be born to the Main branch would never again be able to call themselves shinobi.

"You cannot fight fate," Neji had said. There was even a hint of kindness in those eyes, which had only ever looked at her before in anger.

"No matter how much we struggle, our destiny finds us in the end. So accept the hand you've been dealt, and raise Hanabi as best you can. The best thing for both of you is to forget the past."

And Hinata was trying. She fulfilled her duties as diligently as she could, and spent the rest of her time with Hanabi. But try as she might, she couldn't make herself completely forget the past. Her painful memories, and her guilt, remained as much a part of her as her byakugan. She didn't think she would ever be free of them.

Hinata's thoughts drifted, finally resolving into the shape of a boy. His bright blue eyes looked steadily into hers.

Had it really only been earlier that day, when Naruto helped her up in the cafeteria? Hinata blushed a little, remembering.

It was strange. Naruto had always been alone. Hinata remembered how sad he'd looked at the Academy. How he always put on a cheerful face, no matter how many people scorned him. She remembered how brave he seemed, and how hard he worked to keep people from seeing when he was hurt, or embarrassed.

Hinata couldn't remember exactly when she'd found out that Naruto had been adopted by none other than Madara, the new Hokage. She saw him around the Tower frequently during her work, and listened to the gossip of the other servants.

Why Naruto? What was it about him that made people hate him so much? Hinata knew she should hate him as well, now that he was the son of the man who killed her father. But despite his position, despite everything, whenever she looked at him she still saw the boy on the playground. The boy who even had a smile for a servant.

Maybe Neji was right about fate. Hinata didn't know. But she felt a little bit better knowing that someone, finally, gave Naruto the recognition he deserved. One day he would be Hokage, which she knew had been his dream. Hinata just prayed that Madara wouldn't change him, wouldn't taint his ready smile or his caring heart.

oOoOo

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, a habit he couldn't seem to break. His hair felt different, as if the red dye he'd used had made his hair heavier, instead of just changing the color. Everything about him felt different, as if his body knew he wasn't supposed to be Sasuke anymore. Now he was Isamu, former genin of Kumogakure.

Across from Sasuke, Itachi pulled steadily on wooden oars, steadily propelling their tiny rowboat across the water. Itachi had also dyed his hair, which was now a dirty blond instead of its usual raven black. Sasuke wondered if their disguises would really work. Just how hard was Konoha looking for them, really? Hard enough to connect Hiro and Isamu, rogue shinobi of no particular fame, with the dangerous Uchiha fugitives?

Waves lapped against the rowboat, making a soothing kind of rhythm. Sasuke wanted to look around, as it was the first time he'd ever travelled on the sea, but the mist hanging thickly over the water kept him from seeing more than a few yards away. He wondered how Itachi knew where he was going. Was a perfect sense of direction just something that came with being a jonin, or an ANBU captain?

Itachi's soft voice broke the silence.

"Very soon we will enter the Land of Waves. There is no Hidden Village there, which means we can freely offer our services as mercenaries to anyone who can pay. That is our current mission. We need to find a place where we can establish ourselves, without drawing too much attention."

"I know," Sasuke huffed, "it's not like you haven't gone over this a million times."

"I'll go over it as many times as I have to," Itachi said patiently. "What's the first rule?"

"Never use the sharingan, unless it's a choice between life and death."

"Very good. We'll continue to train, but only when we're alone. Our safety depends on keeping our identity secret."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Itachi sounded like a broken record. He must be more worried than he was letting on, otherwise he wouldn't keep repeating himself.

Sasuke sat back, letting his imagination run away with him. He couldn't wait to start fighting for real, finally testing his skills against new opponents. His brother was both too familiar and too frustrating, since even though Sasuke knew most of his moves he still had no chance of beating him. But now they'd get hired to fight. Sasuke daydreamed about guarding trade caravans through bandit-infested forests, and protecting daimyos from assassins.

In the back of his mind, he knew he should be focused on his ultimate goal. Konoha was still waiting, and the family that had betrayed his trust. But for now, he couldn't dampen his excitement. He was with his brother, and they were taking the next step on their journey. Life was good.

Itachi watched him with a bemused smile on his face, no doubt easily interpreting the thoughts that were racing inside Sasuke's mind.

"Where will we go first?" Sasuke asked.

"The Land of Waves is famous for its shipping industry. And ships always need guards. Once we reach land we'll look for the docks, and see about finding someone to hire us. Merchants in need of protection never ask too many questions."

"All right! I've always wanted to fight at sea! It'll be unfair, though, since so much water means my lightning jutsus will be pretty much unstoppable."

"One day your overconfidence is going to get you killed, Sasuke," Itachi said sternly. "There is always someone more skilled than you are, and just because your techniques are well-suited to your environment does not guarantee victory."

"I know, already! You taught me that _ages_ ago! I just want to see some real action."

"That's where we disagree, Sasuke. For my part, I'd prefer if you never had to see _real action_ at all."

Sasuke noted the somber tone in his brother's voice and wisely didn't respond, although mentally he was rolling his eyes. _I'm a ninja, fighting is my purpose._

Before long Sasuke fell asleep, having been lulled into slumber by the soft music of the waves. Itachi pulled on, sending the rowboat farther into the mist.

oOoOo

Gaara jumped away to distance himself from Sakura, and looked in the direction of the kunai. A figure dressed all in black was perched on the roof of one of the squat, two-story buildings. The black-clad figure leapt from the roof and came to land in the center of the street.

A small part of Gaara's mind, the part desperately trying to ignore Mother's voice in his head, noted that this man was standing outside of the range where he could control sand, at least with any precision or power. That was a change from some of the other assassins, who had strayed unwittingly into ground that Gaara had been able to make rise up around them. For that matter, this assassin must have moved from rooftop to rooftop, never letting his feet touch anything but stone, or else Gaara would have sensed his approach.

"What the hell did you do that for, girl?" demanded the assassin. He spoke in a voice that sounded too gruff to be natural. "You were supposed to distract the demon!"

Sakura's mouth opened in shock, but she whirled to face the shinobi while keeping her injured arm tight against her chest.

"How dare you attack a kid! You're not a real shinobi, you're a coward and a bully!"

Gaara found himself unable to focus on the man trying to kill him, all of his attention instead riveted on the girl with the bubblegum-pink hair. Was she… -defending him? His anger ebbed slightly, replaced by surprise.

People trying to kill him, he'd encountered before. People protecting him, now; that, he'd never experienced. Not even Yashamaru had ever stood up for him against someone else before. Gaara was sure Yashamaru would if he ever got the chance, but during all the other assassination attempts he'd been away on one of his trips.

Gaara heard the anger in Sakura's voice as she yelled at the assassin, and a warm feeling started in his chest and spread all the way through his stomach.

"You can't hurt him," Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs. "I won't let you!"

"You won't have a choice, little girl. I will kill the demon, and you with it if you make me."

"Over my dead body!" Gaara turned in surprise to see Kiba running forward, taking up a defensive stance between Sakura and the assassin. The puppy on his head let out a fierce yip in challenge.

"I couldn't save my parents," Kiba yelled, "but no one is ever going to hurt my friends ever again. I'll rip your throat out first!"

Gaara stared as the four other children moved up to stand next to him, pale as death but all equally determined.

"The Kazekage will be most displeased if you continue this madness," Shino said, valiantly trying to keep his voice free from fear, and almost succeeding. "We are extremely valuable to Sunagakure. If you harm us there will be serious consequences."

"You're valuable dead too," the assassin sneered. "But I'll let you live if you simply step aside. I don't kill children."

"Your choice of target tells me that's a lie," Shikamaru pointed out.

"He's not a child, he's a demon," the assassin said matter-of-factly, and his gruff voice hit Gaara like a slap to the face. But none of the children in front of him budged an inch.

"You… -you _bastard!_" Sakura shouted. Even her friends looked at her in surprise, though they kept one eye warily on the assassin.

"Your own leader sealed the demon into him, he didn't have a choice at all! The Kazekage didn't care about protecting people from demons _then_! If Gaara is so dangerous, why doesn't the Kazekage deal with him himself?"

The assassin only shrugged. "Because he has me. And I'm not going to waste any more time. This is unfortunate, but I've been told you're expendable and it's more important to kill the demon than keep you alive."

He raised his arms high, and then Gaara saw the thin blue strings of chakra running from the man's fingers to the kunai stuck in the dirt, between Sakura and her friends and Gaara. The kunai lifted into the air, and their blades began to glow with a blue light that grew steadily brighter.

"This gives me no pleasure," the assassin said, and the regret was clear in his voice. "Good-bye."

The kunai detonated in a burst of fire and light. Then the rapidly expanding explosion was replaced in Gaara's vision by a wave of sand that shot up from the street at the last minute. He willed it to subside, praying that he hadn't been too late.

To his relief, all six of the other children had been encased by a shell made of his sand, and he had managed to harden it before the explosion reached them. They were all unharmed.

"He saved us," Choji said, sounding dazed.

They all looked at Gaara, amazement clear in their eyes.

"Thank you, Gaara," Sakura said. Ino nodded fervently.

Gaara was about to respond, when he saw the man in black raise his arms again. Gaara extended his arm and gestured towards himself. His sand retreated like a wave, gently but irresistibly sweeping the other children behind him.

He walked slowly forward, gathering his sand in two ten-foot whips that followed in his wake. A score of kunai rose in the air around the assassin, all attached to the end of glowing blue strings of chakra.

The assassin flung out his hands and the kunai shot out, but not towards Gaara. Instead they flew all around him, dodging his twin whips of sand as they tried to swat away the projectile weapons.

"Your sand is powerful," the assassin called out, "but it has limits. Not even your defenses can withstand my attack."

He clenched his hands into fists, and every kunai swung in mid-air so the points were aimed straight at Gaara. He was directly in the middle of a ring of deadly steel. The blades began to glow with the same hellish blue light from before.

"Do the world a favor, and just die!" The assassin let out a primal yell and jerked his arms back in toward his body. The kunai homed in on Gaara. The glowing blue light turned to white and there was an enormous explosion.

"NOOO!" The cry ripped from the throats of six children, who watched with horror as a blanket of smoke covered the air around Gaara. When it cleared, they saw a cocoon of hardened sand where Gaara had been. It crumbled away and revealed the red-haired boy, alive and well.

Kiba let out a spontaneous yell of triumph.

_We will crush his bones and let his blood enrich the sand! _ Mother's voice raged in Gaara's head.

_Yes_, he thought right back. _Yes, we will._

"You know the range of my sand," Gaara rasped. He saw the assassin start at the sound of his voice. "But I don't need to control it if it's already moving fast enough."

Gaara let his rage flow through unchecked, feeling the chakra course through his body. A wave of sand rose in front of him, and then split and solidified into hundreds of sharp shards, of the same hardened material that had formed his blast-proof cocoon.

"Let's see you face your own technique!"

The sand spikes flew forward in a deadly barrage. The assassin knocked many aside with another batch of controlled kunai, but there were simply too many. He jumped to the side, but Gaara had already sent a second wave and third close behind. Blades of sand connected and dug deep into the assassin's torso. He went jerking backward as the deadly projectiles rained down around him, more burying themselves in his body with muted thuds. He hit the ground hard, looking like a pincushion from the number of spikes sticking out from bloody holes in his black outfit.

Kiba let out another cheer, though this one sounded a little half-hearted. It didn't even register with Gaara. He had ended it quickly, but it wasn't satisfying. He wanted to see his attacker's face. Only then would he know there was no threat. Inside his head Mother screamed in triumph.

Gaara closed the short distance, his head pounding, and leaned down over the body. The man breathed his last, tortured breath as Gaara lifted the mask up with one hand. He froze. It was Yashamaru.

There was a rushing sound in his ears, and a pounding in his chest. He heard a scream, but only realized after a few seconds that it was coming from his own mouth. He couldn't believe his eyes. His uncle, the man he'd lived with, who had stayed with him and always told him not to let the hatred of others affect him, had just tried to kill him.

Gaara became engulfed in a cloud of yellow-brown chakra. A ring of sand erupted around him, sending jagged spikes into the air erratically. He sank to his knees, grabbing fistfuls of his uncle's black vest, and screamed his despair to the sky.

The children from Konoha looked on, confusion warring with pity in their faces. Sakura took a hesitant step forward. Ino put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you crazy? You'll be killed!"

Shikamaru gently removed Ino's hand.

"She can do it, Ino." He looked gravely at Sakura. "You were the first to defend him. He might remember that. We'll be right behind you."

Ino let out a strangled sound of protest, which ended when Kiba smacked her in the back of the head. She stared at him in surprise, unnerved by the reversal. He only shrugged.

"He saved all our lives. I say we try to help him."

Ino gulped, but nodded. She turned around, and realized Sakura was already halfway to the red-haired boy, whose chakra was glowing around him in a truly frightening way.

"Gaara!" she yelled. "Gaara, listen to me!"

Her voice reached his ears, and grew louder when he stopped screaming to pull in an agonized breath. He couldn't see anything through the red haze across his vision, but her clear voice demanded his attention. With tremendous effort he tore his eyes away from his uncle's face and looked in the direction of the sound.

The sand died down, and he looked at her without comprehension.

"Gaara, calm down. You're safe, he can't hurt you!"

That was almost laughable. Gaara couldn't have been in more pain if those kunai on strings had cut out his heart. He wanted to lash out, at anything. At everything.

Sakura edged closer, murmuring softly the entire time. Gaara almost didn't make sense of the words, but somehow they cut across Mother's wordless roar. He stared at Sakura. She had stood in front of the assassin, had defended him. But she didn't understand. How could she?

"He was my uncle," Gaara said dully. "He… -he told me he loved me…"

Sakura's eyes welled up with tears. She didn't try to keep them from falling, and they sank into the sand at her feet.

"I'm so sorry, Gaara."

He felt himself growing angry again.

"Sorry? You're sorry? I have no one, I'm alone! You and your friends don't know what it's like!" Gaara got to his feet, feeling his chakra surge again with the strength of his rage.

"Yes I do!" Sakura snapped. Her sudden force took Gaara by surprise. "We all do! Our village was attacked, and our families were all killed! I was kept in a cell all alone for over a year before we escaped. Don't you ever say I don't know how awful it feels to be alone!"

Gaara stared, watching her tear-streaked eyes soften slightly.

"But you're right. I'm not alone now. I have my family." Sakura pointed at the five kids standing only a few yards away. "The only thing we have in the world is each other. But that's ok, because we'll always have each other to rely on." Sakura knelt down, holding Gaara's eyes with her own. "And you saved our lives, Gaara. That means you're part of our family, if you want to be."

She smiled at him, and held out her hand. Gaara looked at the five genin. Shino nodded solemnly, and Ino let out a nervous giggle. Kiba grinned and gave him a thumbs up. Shikamaru gave him a quick wink. Gaara looked again at Sakura's outstretched hand, and had a strange sense of déjà vu. Then it hit him.

He remembered being much younger, in a different part of the village. Children were playing a game in the street. He went up to a girl his own age, and asked her if he could play. He remembered sticking out his hand, only to have her recoil in fear. "Get away from me, demon!" she had yelled.

Now he had another chance, and nobody was running away. He wouldn't either.

Mother's voice still screamed, demanding blood. There was a part of Gaara that knew how easy it would be to kill these children. All he had to do was give in, and do what the voice said. Maybe it would even give him peace, and quiet the voice in his head for a time.

Instead he got to his feet, and took Sakura's hand. He pulled and she popped up, grinning from ear to ear. Gaara felt something strange in his chest, and then an irresistible urge pulled the corner of his mouth up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled.

Gaara took one last look at the body of his uncle, then turned his back. Keeping a tight hold on Sakura's hand, he went to meet his new family.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Itachi and Sasuke reach the Land of Waves, Naruto and his teammates make a new friend, and the Kazekage gets a few nasty surprises. Meanwhile, forces are at work in the background, setting plots in motion that may take years to come to fruition. Please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 5**

"This is a strange request."

Madara watched as his son mentally marshaled his arguments, clearly having rehearsed what he had to say many times beforehand. It was a relatively new experience for them both, as Naruto generally rushed into things without even looking where he would land. This show of calculated foresight boded well for Naruto's future as a commanding officer, and later as Hokage.

"I know it seems strange, father, but it's the right thing to do. Takeshi should have a ninja hound, it's in his blood!"

"If his parents wanted him to have a hound, they would have given him one."

"Takeshi's mother is dead, otherwise she would have! And his father doesn't want him to do anything that isn't proper for a full-blood Uchiha."

"That's appropriate," Madara pointed out. "The boy should count himself lucky to be part of the clan, and pray that the Inuzuka bloodline doesn't taint him."

"But that's the point," Naruto said hurriedly. "If his sharingan doesn't develop, then Takeshi will have to leave the clan. But without a ninja hound, he won't be able to develop the abilities from his mother's clan. He'll be next to useless as a shinobi, but with a hound he can at least become a decent scout. Konoha needs every fighter it can get! And if Takeshi's sharingan does develop, he'll only be that much more powerful! The Inuzuka bloodline will be introduced into the Uchiha clan, making it stronger!"

"I see you've put a lot of thought into this."

Naruto nodded, looking a little sheepish but meeting Madara's gaze without flinching.

"Yes, he's my classmate and I know he'll be strong one day, if we only give him the chance. I don't want to be the Hokage in a village of weaklings, especially not if it's so easy to change."

Madara noted that Naruto was quoting his own doctrine of strength right back at him, and was glad his mask hid his smile. The child was already learning. Moreover, he showed admirable ingenuity with his idea of incorporating the Inuzuka animal bond with the Uchiha bloodline. It was an ambitious idea, but one that could pay dividends if realized. This Takeshi might make an excellent case study, to see how the sharingan reacted to different blood. The possibilities that would follow a successful integration were intriguing.

"I think you might be on to something, Naruto. A ninja hound won't have any more effect on the boy's sharingan than the Inuzuka blood he already possesses. And it just might make him into a valuable asset. I'll write out permission for one puppy to be given to your friend. Takeshi, his name was?"

Naruto jumped up high, punching the air with his fist.

"Yatta! Thank you, father! You won't regret it."

Madara laughed, but responded seriously.

"Make sure I don't. If Takeshi isn't a true Uchiha, then your efforts will be wasted. Now get on with you, I have to work to do."

Naruto bowed deeply, and gave one last grin before he scampered out. Madara felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Naruto always seemed to put him in a better mood. The boy was like a ray of sunshine, and not just because of his bright blond hair.

However, soon his training would have to intensify, and he would have to learn the ins and outs of running a village. But for now, Naruto could train just like any of the Uchiha, and enjoy his childhood. Madara knew it wouldn't last. Those born to rule never got to enjoy their innocence for very long.

The Takeshi boy was actually very interesting, Madara realized. He would watch the boy's growth closely, to see how the mixture of powers worked out. No one who did not possess the sharingan could truly be considered a part of the Uchiha clan. That even extended to Naruto, though the boy did not know it. The clan itself honored Madara's word, but he knew many resented him naming Naruto his heir.

They should have known it was all for the greater glory of the Uchiha clan. Madara would monitor the experiment with Takeshi, and lay his own plans. Soon the time would be ripe to cross two of the greatest powers in the world: the sharingan of the Uchiha clan, and the unstoppable might of Kitsune no Kyuubi. The world would tremble before Konoha's strength, and Madara's son would usher the Uchiha into a new era of fame and prosperity.

oOoOo

The waterfront was a strange, new world. Sasuke followed Itachi closely, but let his senses roam freely around the chaos that surrounded the docks. Everywhere men dashed to and fro, unloading heavy boxes from the high-masted galleys towering over the docks. The smell of fish was overpowering, and hundreds of voices haggling and shouting back and forth created a raucous background melody.

It was exciting, intoxicating, even a little frightening. Sasuke's nerves were already frayed, and his body was on high alert. He had been trained to keep track of every little detail of his surroundings. In the wilderness, any voice other than his own and Itachi's meant danger. They went months without seeing another human face, and passed through human habitations only to steal food they couldn't gather themselves.

It was difficult adjusting to an environment that so fiercely assaulted the senses. Sasuke was discovering that his skills at observation were less useful in a city. Every person rushing by was a possible threat. How could he possibly sense danger in such a place?

Nevertheless, Sasuke drank in the bustling scene before him with greedy eyes. He felt as if he'd been traveling through a desert, and only now reached an oasis. It refreshed him even as he couldn't quite bring himself to believe in it. Everything seemed surreal. Only Itachi's insistent pace kept Sasuke from forgetting that they were there for a purpose.

"All right, Sasuke?" Itachi called over his shoulder.

Sasuke curled his lip, hoping to convey the depth of his scorn for the unnecessary question. Of _course_ he was all right.

Itachi stopped walking. Sasuke, who had been keeping his eyes on the tall galleys to their left, almost ran into Itachi from behind. He cursed himself for a fool. This was no time to lose track of his surroundings, just because he was in a new place. He was a shinobi, not some gawking tourist.

"Here's a likely prospect," Itachi said, pointing to a ship that seemed a little larger than the others. The plank where it was moored buzzed with activity, as men unloaded crates and barrels from the ship's hold.

Itachi led the way to a man standing on the deck, with one hand on a guiding rope. Every now and again he'd shout something to one of the men hurrying along the quay, after which they'd rush to move more quickly. Sasuke realized this must be the man in charge.

"Excuse me, sir," Itachi began politely when he was a few feet away from the overseer. "Might I trouble you for a moment?"

The man turned around, swaying a little awkwardly on the dock. The ship must have just docked, since he was still adjusting to the non-existent motion of a deck. He was middle-aged and swarthy, his face rough from years of battling the elements. He looked with bemusement at the two newcomers.

"Eh? What can I do for you young folk?"

Sasuke bristled at this dismissive greeting, but held his tongue. It was Itachi's place to talk, his brother had made that clear.

"We're looking for the man in charge," Itachi said calmly. "My friend and I are looking for work."

The overseer looked at Itachi skeptically. His expression made Sasuke flush with anger and embarrassment.

"No offense, now, but aren't you both a little young? I doubt if you'd be able to even lift one of the crates, let alone pull an oar for any amount of time."

"We're not looking to become rowers, or deckhands. We offer protection. Hiro and Isamu, fighters-for-hire, at your service." Itachi bowed his head respectfully.

At first the man looked like he wanted to laugh, but something in Itachi's eyes made him swallow the reaction and only nod instead.

"Captain Mishida, pleased to meet you both."

He gripped Itachi's hand in his own, squeezing hard with gnarled, callused fingers. Itachi squeezed back. The Captain's eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth tightened a little in pain. He relaxed his hold and let go, massaging his right hand with his left. Sasuke tensed, but the man only grinned.

"Quite the grip you've got there, friend. Normally I'd be able to help you, since I'm the Captain of _Lady's Grace_, and responsible for any new hiring." He gestured behind him at his ship, his voice swelling with undisguised pride. "But I have all the men I need at the moment, and there hasn't been enough activity lately to warrant extra protection. Sorry I can't be of more help."

Itachi waved a polite dismissal.

"Any idea where we might go to look for work? It doesn't have to be on a ship, as long as the pay is good."

Mishida scratched his stubbly chin.

"Well now, I just might at that. I'm the Captain of _Lady's Grace_, but I'm not exactly the owner. That would be Gato. He's king of the waterfront around here, and has his hands in almost every kind of business in the Land of Waves. In fact, if it floats on the sea, chances are it belongs to Gato. If it's work you want, and you're not too picky as to what it is, he's the man to see."

"I see. So where can I find this Gato?"

Mishida pointed away from the docks, in the direction from which Itachi and Sasuke had come.

"His offices are about twenty minutes' walk that way. Look for Gato Company signs. You'll know it when you see it, because Gato keeps a small army of bodyguards."

Mishida hesitated, but continued.

"You look like you know how to handle yourself, but I feel I should warn you anyway. Gato's ruthless, and his men are hard and cruel. Don't go getting yourself in too deep. Gato's goons won't take it easy on you, especially with that runt in tow."

Sasuke glared at the captain, who gave him a quick wink. He ground his teeth angrily.

"Thank you for the warning, Captain," Itachi said. "I'll keep it in mind."

The captain nodded one last time, and turned back to his ship.

"Steady on, then, you lot! I turn my back for a second and you're already slacking! Get back to work!"

Sasuke followed Itachi as he walked away from the docks, moving in the direction of Gato's offices.

They were a good way down the winding streets, well out of sight of the waterfront, when Itachi paused.

"Did you catch that, Sasuke?" he asked.

"Yeah, that jerk called me a runt! I ought to go back there and show him who he's messing with!"

Itachi shook his head wearily.

"Focus, Sasuke. You're supposed to be a ninja; looking harmless is a good thing. The only person we need to acknowledge our abilities is this Gato. And speaking of Gato," Itachi paused to make sure he had Sasuke's attention, "it seems pretty clear that he's responsible for a lot of the criminal activity around here. That means he'll have criminals working for him, and they won't want newcomers moving in on their territory, or taking their jobs. We may have to deal with some… -discouragement, before we get Gato's attention."

"You mean we might get to fight?" Sasuke couldn't believe their luck. Only a few hours after landing, he was already going to be able to test his skills.

"I would appreciate it if you'd at least pretend not to be excited."

Sasuke hung his head in mock contrition, but couldn't keep the grin off his face.

As they kept walking the smell of fish receded, and the general quality of their surroundings improved. The houses grew bigger, and there were less people walking around casually. Finally they reached what looked like a center for business. There were restaurants and office buildings instead of houses, and the area fairly reeked of money.

"Where should we look for Gato?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm sure those gentlemen can accommodate us," Itachi answered. He pointed to a restaurant that was open to the street, where around several dozen men lounged with mugs in hand. Sasuke nodded, but Itachi wasn't finished.

"I would guess that these men are already in Gato's employ. If they start anything, do not respond with ninjutsu. And try not to kill any of them, if it can be avoided."

Sasuke nodded acceptance, loosening the ties on the kunai in his sleeves. He walked behind Itachi and slightly to the right, staying balanced on the balls of his feet.

When they were right behind the men, Itachi paused.

"Excuse me," he began in a voice pitched to carry. "Can anyone here tell me where I might find Gato?"

The conversations in the restaurant died down almost instantly, and all heads swiveled to look at Itachi. The brothers waited, though they didn't have to wait long.

"Who's asking?"

This came from a tall man with brown hair pulled back in a topknot, who wore two swords in scabbards on either side. The other men watched him respectfully, waiting to see what he would do.

"I'm Hiro, and this is my brother Isamu. We're mercenaries, looking to hire on with Gato."

A few chuckles ran through the group, which the man with the topknot quelled by raising his hand.

"Last I checked, Gato doesn't hire children. I think you'll save yourself a world of pain if you just walk away now."

Sasuke looked at the man with confusion. Was he calling Itachi a child, too? That was just… idiotic. Maybe his brother was only thirteen, but how could anyone not realize he was a threat?

"We'll take our chances," Itachi said, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Was Itachi… -_goading _them? This was something he'd never seen before.

The man sighed, and then got to his feet. A good few followed suit, though Sasuke noticed many seemed unsteady on their feet with drink.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," the leader said. "Beating up kids isn't exactly what I thought I'd be doing when I trained as a samurai, but then, it'll actually be a favor to you. One sharp lesson now, and maybe you'll grow up to make something of yourselves."

He looked at the men behind him, motioning them to stay back.

"Don't get involved, boys. We haven't sunk so low that we go around killing kids, just because they don't have enough sense not to play with fire."

Itachi stepped back, sparing a quick glance at Sasuke.

"You're up, brother." In a quieter tone, he added, "Watch out for the quick unsheathing. Samurai can draw their swords and strike in a second. Don't get caught."

Sasuke nodded, and walked toward the leader. He dropped into a fighter's crouch, and extended one hand in a "come on" gesture. He heard startled laughs coming from the men, and his opponent's eyes narrowed.

"So be it."

The samurai ran forward, still with one hand on his sword's hilt. At the last moment he drew, and if Itachi hadn't warned Sasuke he might have been caught by the blinding speed of the blade. As it was, the samurai pulled his strike a little in order to swing with the flat of his blade, instead of lunging with the point. Sasuke intended to make him pay for that misguided mercy.

He let two kunai drop into his hands from their sheaths in his sleeves, and spun to the right to avoid the blade. Using chakra pushed out through his feet, he pushed himself forward to close the distance to the samurai. He was inside the sword's reach before his opponent could react, and could have ended the fight with a quick slash of his kunai. Instead he drove his knee upward into the samurai's groin.

The samurai's knees buckled and he began to fall, but even before he came to a stop Sasuke was behind him. He swung viciously and hit the back of the samurai's head with the butt of his kunai. There was a loud _crack_ that echoed through the street, followed by a series of gasps when the samurai slumped face-first onto the street, unconscious.

Itachi spoke first, breaking the stunned silence that had settled over the customers in the restaurant.

"As you can see, we are more than capable of watching out for ourselves. Now, would someone please direct us to Gato?"

None of them responded, but Sasuke could see plenty of knives that had not been visible a moment ago. A big, burly man with knife scars on his face stepped forward.

"Tsurugi always was too honorable for his own good. Look what it got him, taken out by a kid. Gut them, boys!"

Ten men advanced on Sasuke, who jumped back to stand next to Itachi. His brother sighed, and took out his own kunai from his belt pouch.

"I'd hoped that you knocking out their leader would be enough. Take care of any that try to get in behind me."

Itachi's calm demeanor seemed to infuriate his opponents, who charged in a mass, waving assorted knives and daggers. Sasuke was feeling more scornful by the moment. These thugs wouldn't even be able to touch Itachi.

But for some reason, his brother seemed to be holding back. He didn't boost his speed with chakra the way he did when he sparred with Sasuke, and he made no move to prevent some of them from circling around him.

Sasuke wasn't sure why Itachi was holding back, but guessed that his brother wanted to give him the chance to fight. Which he did, with abandon.

In no more than a minute a dozen men were out cold in the street, and the remaining patrons in the restaurant were focusing carefully on their food. Sasuke sheathed his kunai, idly hoping that the skull of the last goon hadn't done any damage to the handle.

From off to their right came a sudden burst of applause. In the doorway of a four-story building, partially hidden by shadows, was a man who had evidently been watching the fight. Sasuke hadn't noticed him, which pointed either to the man's own skill, or a dangerous lapse in his own situational awareness. Had Itachi noticed the man? No doubt; his brother was probably aware that they had an audience even before the door had opened.

The observer stepped out of the shadows and approached them. He wore a dark blue, hooded sweatshirt and a purple hat, which covered bluish-white hair that framed his face on either side. His eyes were small and shifty, and underneath were black markings that resembled inky tears. On his hip was a blue-handled katana, which he carried with ease and assurance.

"Quite an excellent show you two put on," the swordsman called out. "I'd say that counts as a successful audition."

Itachi bowed his head, motioning for Sasuke to follow suit.

"Who might we have the honor of speaking to?"

"I'm Zouri, personal bodyguard to Gato. If you'll follow me, I can get the two of you an introduction. I'm sure the boss will be impressed with your ability."

Itachi nodded assent, and the two brothers fell into step behind Zouri. He led them through the door he'd been watching from, and into an interior that shocked Sasuke. The whole place oozed comfort and money, from the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling to the polished floorboards.

Zouri headed to a set of stairs at the far end of the main lobby, and walked with them to the fourth floor. There was only one door off of the wide hallway, in front of which Zouri brought the small group to a stop. He rapped three times, and waited.

"Come in," called a voice from inside.

Zouri opened the door, gesturing for Itachi and Sasuke to enter first.

The first thing Sasuke noticed, according to his training, was the only possible threat in the room. Standing directly in the middle of the room, directly between the entrance and a large desk near the window, was another swordsman.

He was taller than Zouri, and much larger. For some reason he was shirtless, which drew attention to his bulging muscles and a vine tattoo stretching from his left shoulder across his chest. An eyepatch covered his left eye, and only an inch over his right eye was a nasty scar. Looped through his belt was a katana, with the hilt wrapped in bandages. The bodyguard caressed the sword lovingly, as if he couldn't wait to put the sword to use.

Zouri laughed disarmingly. "They're with me, Waraji. A couple of fighters here to see the boss."

"Is that so?" The voice was the same that had told them to come in. "Step aside, Waraji. If they've managed to impress Zouri, I want to see them."

Waraji grunted, but moved to give the newcomers a view of the man behind the desk.

Sasuke watched carefully, wondering what the mysterious Gato would look like. The shipping magnate sat at an immense desk, his hands folded on top of a sheaf of papers. He had an unruly mane of gray hair, and a pair of dark glasses hiding his eyes. Avarice and greed were written in every line on his face. He rubbed his hands together as he spoke, which Sasuke found extremely annoying.

"What have we here? A pair of children?"

Sasuke only barely avoided rolling his eyes. What was it about this place that made people think you had to be an adult to be dangerous? Maybe it was just a symptom of not having a shinobi village around.

"Tell that to Tsurugi and his boys outside," Zouri said in a confiding tone. "Though they might not be able to hear you. These two took them out in under a minute. I think they're shinobi, or they used to be."

Gato's eyes widened. He looked at Itachi and Sasuke with renewed interest.

"Shinobi, eh? Is that what you are?"

"Yes, sir," Itachi responded. "I'm Hiro, and my brother is Isamu. We're from Kumo originally, but that's in the past. I had to leave after a… -misunderstanding, with my superiors. I felt they were wasting my skills, so I took my brother and we left to look for more broad-minded employers. When I heard about you, I immediately thought you were the person to come to."

"Hmm, is that right? I don't deny you might be useful… -_if_ you are as skilled as you say. Many claim to be shinobi who can't do anything more than twirl a kunai around."

"Of course," Itachi said. "With your permission…" he trailed off, looking at Gato.

Gato waved a hand. "Impress me."

Itachi nodded at Sasuke, who knew what to do. He made a series of hand seals, comfortable with the lighting technique after weeks of brutal training with Itachi.

His hands began to glow, sparking with electricity. A low, crackling sound ran through the air, and Sasuke smiled with pure exhilaration at the energy flowing through his body. Waraji tensed, keeping one hand on the hilt of his katana.

Itachi made a cutting motion in the air, and Sasuke let the jutsu fade, unfinished.

"I hope that is enough to convince you that we are not charlatans. If you give us an opportunity to prove ourselves, I am confident that we will not disappoint you."

"Excellent," Gato said. His hands dry-washed furiously. "I can think of a few tasks that might be suited to your… -unique skill set. If you give me your address, I'll send Zouri to you soon with the details."

"Thank you, sir," Itachi responded. "We look forward to working with you."

"Likewise. Hiro, my friend, I think this is the beginning of a very profitable partnership."

oOoOo

There wasn't much that could faze the Fourth Kazekage. He'd seen a lot in his 36 years, and considered himself prepared for almost anything life could throw at him. He'd faced powerful enemies on the battlefield, and had maneuvered in the dangerous waters that were shinobi politics almost since he had come of age. That made it all the more astonishing to see him completely at a loss.

"What did you say?" he repeated weakly.

Baki stared back impassively.

"Sir, the vessel is asking for an audience with you. The children from Konoha are with him."

The Kazekage's mind reeled at the news. So Yashamaru had failed… but then why weren't the other children dead? And now Gaara was seeking him out. Had he figured out who ordered the assassination attempts? Was he coming for revenge?

The Kazekage brought himself under control. If today was the day for a confrontation, then so be it. He had a duty to his village and the people under his protection. Even if it meant he had to look into his son's eyes when he killed him, he wouldn't shrink from his duty.

"I will see him in my study," he told Baki, angry that the other shinobi wasn't betraying even a hint of emotion. "Have a team of jonin around to secure the area if he becomes violent. The children can wait in the lobby while we discuss… whatever it is he wants to discuss."

"Yes, sir." Baki bowed and left.

The Kazekage deliberately relaxed, leaning back in his chair and projecting a carefree attitude. He didn't want to appear tense before Gaara. It might provoke the demon, which would be disastrous in this populated part of the village. What could have driven him here?

The door opened, revealing a shock of red hair followed by the face of his youngest son. It gave the Kazekage a shock to see Gaara, the only one of his children with red hair. It was almost like looking at a younger version of himself. Even their powers were similar. The Kazekage felt a twinge of something that felt almost like shame, but he shook it off. He'd made his choice long ago, for the greater good of the village. It wasn't his fault things had gone so wrong, or so he told himself. This might have been his son once, but no longer. Now he was just a vessel for a demon.

Gaara stood in front of the Kazekage's desk, his dark-rimmed eyes fixed on the leader of his village.

"Father…" Gaara said softly.

The Kazekage felt his face twist, whether in shame or disgust he couldn't be sure. He had no idea how to respond. But luckily, he didn't have to.

"No," Gaara said after a moment. "Kazekage. You ordered Uncle Yashamaru to kill me. And you sent all the others."

His voice shook a little, and the Kazekage clenched his fists. If it came down to it, could his gold dust contain Shukaku's sand? He prayed he wouldn't have to find out.

"I understand." The two words caught the Kazekage completely by surprise, and he let out the breath he'd been holding in a rush.

"You what?" he asked stupidly. Gaara looked directly at his father, and the pain in his eyes shook the Kazekage to his core.

"I understand," Gaara said again. "I'm… -dangerous, and I've hurt people by accident. I've been talking with my friends, and I know the voice I hear is my demon. It is evil, and only wants to kill. But that's not what I want."

The Kazekage couldn't control the utter consternation on his face as he listened to Gaara's earnest words.

"I want to protect people, not scare them. And I'm getting better, sir. When my friends are near, I can control the demon. When I see them I tell myself I will never, ever let them get hurt. And the voice gets quieter."

Gaara looked behind at the closed door. It took the Kazekage a moment to realize that he was looking in the direction of the waiting room, where the children from Konoha were waiting. Wait… _they_ were the 'friends' he was talking about?

Gaara turned back around, new resolve written plainly on his face. He got to his knees, and bowed his head in the Kazekage's direction.

"Please, sir. Give me a chance to prove I am more than a bloodthirsty demon. Give me the chance to protect the people in the village, instead of hurting them."

The silence stretched out between them, tense and quivering like a steel cable pulled taut.

"The most I can do is bring your request to the Council," the Kazekage said at last. He used the formality like a shield to hide his feelings. It was ludicrous, really. His son was kneeling at his feet, asking him to stop sending assassins after him. The world had run mad.

But Gaara was nodding. "I can talk to them if it makes it easier. I would appreciate any chance to show that I am not a danger to the village." Those last words sounded rehearsed.

He bowed once again, and left the Kazekage's study. From behind the closed door the Kazekage heard a girl's voice rise excitedly.

"How'd it go? Just like we practiced?"

There was an answering murmur of voices, which grew quieter as the children walked out of the compound.

_Well I'll be damned._

oOoOo

Some hours after the surprise interview with his son, the Kazekage made his way from the compound back to his home. Though he was the Kazekage, his quarters were as modest as those of any of his jonin. Not many people were wealthy in Suna, and not even the village's leader let himself be exempt from their pragmatic way of life.

The Kazekage was just beginning to get his mind around what had happened that day. Obviously Yashamaru had failed in his attempt to kill Gaara. That was a pity, but it was nothing he hadn't planned for. That the children of Konoha were still alive was undoubtedly a surprise, though a nice one.

The strange bond that they seemed to have formed with Gaara required more thought. After just a day in the company of his new friends, Gaara had learned that the Kazekage was behind the assassinations. By rights that should have sent Gaara over the edge. But instead of vowing vengeance he at least claimed to have turned over a new leaf. The Kazekage didn't know what to think.

On the whole, however, he was disposed to be rather proud of himself. The Konoha orphans were alive and well, as was their potential to sow dissent in Konoha's ranks. And the failed experiment that was Gaara might not be such a failure after all! Even if Gaara was only trying to lull the Kazekage into a false sense of security before taking revenge for the assassination attempts, the fact that the attempt showed such subtlety implied that perhaps Gaara really did have some use as a tool after all.

Yes, things were looking very bright indeed. With the small exception of Yashamaru's death, the Kazekage's plan was succeeding in every respect. He switched on a lamp in the small kitchen, and walked into the adjoining living room. After a tiring day and such strange revelations, he wanted nothing more than to sink into the only comfortable chair he owned. Too bad there was already someone sitting in it.

The Kazekage jumped back, stifling a shout of surprise. In a flash his eyes took on the dark tinge that accompanied the use of his power, and gold dust swirled from a pouch around his waist to form a shield all around him.

"Whoa, there," came a voice from behind his protective wall. "You're jumping like you stole something. If I wanted to ambush you I wouldn't have waited in this nice, comfortable armchair."

His adrenaline rush died down, but it was replaced by his growing anger. Who dared invade his home? The Kazekage let his gold dust fall gently to the earth, revealing the man who still sat at his ease in the Kazekage's chair.

He had a mane of unruly white hair, and wore a red vest slung over a gray shirt. His legs were crossed casually, and his hands folded in his lap.

"You!" snarled the Kazekage.

"That's right, me! Jiraiya, the one and only," Jiraiya said amiably. "I made it all the way out of the village and thought to myself, 'gee, why don't I see how the kids get settled in?' Good thing I did, too! Who knew there were demons running around Suna?"

"How dare you –" the Kazekage shouted, but Jiraiya cut him off smoothly.

"Of course, how silly of me. _You_ knew. After all you were the one who decided to seal the demon into a child, and your child at that. What I find interesting is that Shikaku wasn't running around the village on a rampage when you sealed it. No, from what I hear, you just thought having your own Jinchuuriki might help your village gain a little more power."

"That is ancient history," the Kazekage said. "And it's no concern of yours."

Jiraiya waved a finger at him, as if he were a naughty child. The Kazekage barely restrained himself from sending his gold dust to choke the life out of the insolent Sannin.

"I think you'll find it is my concern. You see, a few days ago I dropped off a few children I happen to be very fond of. Imagine my surprise when I hear that some underhanded person used them as bait to distract a demon. I'll tell you, I was very surprised. But not nearly as surprised as when I heard that if not for that same so-called demon, a certain deceased assassin would have killed every single one of those children."

"They weren't the target, the demon was!" the Kazekage said through clenched teeth.

"And yet I've had it on good authority that they were considered acceptable collateral damage." In the blink of an eye, Jiraiya switched from jovial to deadly. A spike of murderous intent hit the Kazekage like a physical force. "To me, that is simply… -unacceptable."

Jiraiya stood up from the chair.

"Do you remember the message I left for you with Baki? No? Let me refresh your memory. It went something like this: 'if I hear any one of those children was deliberately harmed, I will sow your fields with salt and scatter your ashes to the four corners of the desert.' Or at least, that's the gist of it. Sometimes I change my mind about how I would kill you."

A vein bulged in the Kazekage's neck.

"You think you can threaten me? In my village, in my own home? Die, you filthy spy!"

The Kazekage sent his gold dust shooting forward, spearing Jiraiya in the chest. He coughed up blood, only to disappear in a puff of white smoke. Only a shadow clone.

A strange keening noise reached the Kazekage's ears. It was an awful wailing composed of two distinctly inhuman voices, one several octaves higher than the other. He tried to whirl around, intent on finishing Jiraiya, but to his consternation found that his muscles were locked in place.

"Kind of difficult to fight after you've experienced Demonic Illlusion: Toad Song, eh?" came Jiraiya's voice from behind his shoulder. The Kazekage strained with all his might, but neither his gold dust nor his body obeyed him.

"It's time for you to listen. I'm a nice guy, so this time I'm willing to overlook you putting my students in harm's way. In a weird way, it's _because_ of Gaara that I'm going to let you live. Those kids now have a devoted friend who will unleash all of the fully articulated fury of a demon on anyone who tries to hurt them. To me, that offsets the danger posed by obeying the orders of a truly _foolish_ Kazekage. So we'll let bygones be bygones and leave each other like gentlemen. But if this ever happens again, I won't be so kind."

Jiraiya walked to the door, but turned before leaving.

"I even decided to give you a present, to show my goodwill. I took a look at the seal containing Shikaku. Whoever made it did a shoddy job, but I fixed it up. You won't have to worry about Gaara leaking chakra, and the demon won't be able to speak to him unless he's in an extremely agitated emotional state. So if you still have the wits you were born with, you won't be sending any more assassins. The smartest thing you can do for your village is raise your son and his friends to be strong shinobi, and give them more reasons to respect you than to walk away. Think about it. I'll be watching."

With that he walked out the door, leaving the Kazekage trembling on the cold stone floor. In twenty minutes he was able to force himself up on hands and knees, and crawl over to the chair.

Eventually the effects of the toads' genjutsu passed, and a long while after that so did his anger. If the Toad Sage really had improved Gaara's seal, the Council would have no qualms declaring him an asset to the village. The fact that he was so devoted to the other children was excellent; it meant he'd be easy to control.

Really, things were going according to plan. Better, even. The children from Konoha were still valuable tools, and their anger against Konoha would only work in his favor. Gaara becoming useful was an added bonus he had not foreseen even in his most optimistic plans.

As for Jiraiya himself, the Kazekage wasn't worried. The time would come when that meddling fool would regret threatening him. After all, there was more than one Sannin around.

The Kazekage walked painfully to his desk, where he kept documents too sensitive to remain in his office. After this run-in with Jiraiya, he would have to look into finding an even more secure location. He opened a drawer, and took out a short letter written in a looping scrawl.

_To the Esteemed Kazekage,_

_As I'm sure you are aware, the recent events in Konoha have considerably increased tensions among the Hidden Villages. It is difficult for a small village like ours to gain respect, and even harder to find work when the larger villages vie so aggressively for supremacy. I mean no disrespect when I say that I trust you understand the burden of competing for a daimyo's interest._

_Though the Otogakure is small, we pride ourselves on the strength of our shinobi – just as, I understand, Suna does as well. I believe we might be of great help to each other in the coming years. Perhaps together we can right some of the wrongs that have befallen us, and take our places among the foremost Hidden Villages._

_Respectfully yours,_

_A Good Friend_

oOoOo

Naruto thought Takeshi's face would split from the size of his grin.

"So you like him, huh? I think he likes you."

That much was obvious from the way the white puppy was jumping all over Takeshi. His tail was wagging furiously, and Naruto could see his friend's hands were already covered with slobber. Takeshi looked up at Naruto.

"How did you… why…"

Naruto answered when he realized Takeshi couldn't even complete his question.

"Classmates have to stick together! Besides, it's no use being the Hokage's son if I don't get to pull rank sometimes!"

Takeshi beamed, but then a terrible fear washed over his face.

"Father will never let me keep him," he said sadly.

"He won't have a choice," Naruto said airily. "You have special permission from the Hokage. Just be sure to get your sharingan, ok? If you prove it's possible to be an Uchiha and develop powers from different clans, you'll be a hero! Just work hard, and I know your dad will be proud of you."

Takeshi nodded, and a few tears slid down his face. The puppy in his arms licked his face enthusiastically, startling a quick laugh out of him.

"Thank you so much, Naruto! Does he have a name?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "The handlers told me when they gave him to me."

Reluctantly, he decided not to add. The Inuzuka clan members had not seemed pleased to part with one of their hounds, even though it was technically going to one of their relatives. Maybe it had just been Naruto's presence which had made them seem so gruff. Naruto was more than willing to overlook their attitudes once he had Takeshi's puppy.

"His name is Hinamaru."

The puppy barked.

"Ha, see! He knows his name!"

Naruto watched Hinamaru and Takeshi play happily, but soon felt that something was missing.

"Hey, do you know where Akemi is?" he asked. "We should introduce her to Hinamaru too!"

"Do we have to?" Takeshi whined. "She'll say it proves I'm not a real Uchiha, and she'll be mean to Hinamaru."

Naruto shook his head. He was determined to get past his second classmate's barriers.

"Yes, we have to! She's our classmate, and she'll probably be on our squad. We need to be friends, no matter how hard she pushes us away!"

Naruto grinned at Takeshi, who was looking extremely reluctant.

"Besides," he added, "this is the perfect opportunity. She won't be able to resist Hinamaru's cuteness! Will she, Hinamaru? No, who wouldn't want to be friends with you?"

The puppy's tale whipped back and forth with abandon.

"If we have to," Takeshi sighed. "I think she might be in the Uchiha cemetery. She told sensei she was going to pay her respects to her brother after training. I heard her brother died almost two years ago."

"What? That's awful," Naruto said. Maybe that explained her anger, if she had so recently lost her brother. Her abrasive attitude might be a shield against her grief. Naruto knew he tried to be loud so that people would notice him; maybe Akemi was doing something similar. That only made him more determined to be her friend.

"All right, let's go to the cemetery! Come on!"

"Wait up, Naruto!"

Takeshi sprinted after Naruto, holding Hinamaru carefully against his chest. The puppy barked happily, ready for his first adventure.

They entered the Uchiha compound shortly, and from there it was only two blocks to the cemetery. Here all of the Uchiha who had fallen defending Konoha were laid to rest, together with their brothers- and sisters-in-arms. In the third row back from the street, Naruto saw Akemi kneeling next to a gravestone. She had placed some fresh flowers by the grave, and since her head was bowed she didn't immediately notice her teammates' arrival.

Naruto wanted to shout out to her, but a smarter part of him decided it was best to approach quietly. He looked at the gravestone, which looked much newer than many of the surrounding stones. Engraved in large, square letters on the front were the words, "Here lies Uchiha Shisui, a kind son, caring brother, and loyal shinobi of Konoha."

Akemi heard them when they were several feet away. She looked up, her eyes widening with surprise.

A few tears threatened to fall, but she wiped them away angrily.

"What are you two doing here?" she demanded.

Naruto ignored the question.

"I'm really sorry to hear about your brother," he said instead.

"What do you care?" Akemi spat out.

"I care because you do," Naruto said softly. "He must have been really important to you. I know I miss my real parents, and I don't even know who they are. So I can't imagine how tough it must be for you."

Akemi turned away, not willing to let them see the tears that started following after Naruto's words.

"Do you want to tell us about him?" Naruto asked. "Maybe it will make you feel better, if you talk to us."

Akemi didn't respond, but Naruto waited. Takeshi stepped forward until he was right next to Akemi. He sat down next to her, and set down Hinamaru. The irrepressible dog jumped right into Akemi's arms, and licked her face.

She choked out a half-laugh, half-sob.

"Stupid dog. I bet Naruto got it for you. It's got his name written all over it."

Neither Takeshi nor Naruto answered, and Akemi began to pet the puppy gently. The silence stretched out.

"He was killed by his best friend," Akemi said at last. "Uchiha Itachi, Fugaku's son. They grew up together, did everything together. He even had a brother my age."

Naruto couldn't hide his surprise. Not killed by an enemy, but by a member of his own clan? How horrible. He wondered what that must have been like for Akemi, to learn that someone she trusted so much killed her brother.

"Shisui was my father's only son, and my only sibling," Akemi continued. "After Itachi killed him, he ran away from the village and took his brother with him. Father's never been the same since then. That's why I have to be the strongest shinobi in the village. So I can hunt down Itachi and punish him for killing my brother!"

Naruto wanted to give her a hug, or pat her back, or something. But he settled for squatting on the ground next to Takeshi, and meeting Akemi's eyes squarely.

"We'll help you, Akemi. We'll be with you all the way."

Takeshi nodded agreement. Naruto put out his fist, and Takeshi covered it with his own. They looked at Akemi, waiting.

Hesitantly, she extended the arm not holding Hinamaru and clasped hands with her teammates. Then she gave a small smile through her tears.

"You can come with me," she said with something like her usual attitude, "but it doesn't mean I like you. We're not friends or anything!"

Naruto nodded solemnly. He wouldn't have said anything to ruin the moment for the world. Hinamaru didn't have such problems, and barked fiercely.

"I think Hinamaru disagrees with you," Takeshi said wryly.

The laughter of the three new friends echoed throughout the cemetery, bringing new hope to the place of silence and grief.

**End of Part 1**

**A/N:** So that's it for the first arc of Rise of the Uchiha. It's been a blast writing it, and things are only going to heat up from here. Next chapter takes us four years into the future, when a bridgebuilder from the Land of Waves comes to Konoha looking for protection. If you have any comments or questions, don't hesitate to send them my way. I'll answer all questions (aside from giving away the plot), and the more reviews, the faster I write. Thank to everybody who's stuck with the story, and stay tuned for Part 2!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** The story starts again after a four-year time skip. All of the action in this arc takes place in Konoha and the Land of Waves. I haven't forgotten about Suna, don't worry. In the third arc, we'll find out what four years in Suna have done for the Sand siblings and the orphans from Konoha.

In this chapter Naruto and his squad get a new mission, Gato hatches a few schemes, and everyone's favorite lazy sensei makes an appearance. Next stop: the Land of Waves!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Part Two: The Land of Waves**

**Chapter 6**

"Squad 13 reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama!" Naruto saluted sharply, and stood rigidly at attention. On either side of him, Akemi and Takeshi stood at attention as well.

"At ease," the Hokage said, and Naruto and his teammates relaxed. "Status report."

"We completed our mission, sir," Naruto said respectfully.

Madara found it a little strange to hear such formality from the irrepressible youth. Now that he was a cadet of the Military Police, he seemed to be taking his responsibilities very seriously. In fact, Madara hadn't heard about a single prank since Naruto started training with the other cadets, over four years ago.

On the whole, this had made a favorable impression on Naruto's superiors, and his potential had them all impressed. Even without knowing Madara's plans for Naruto, many of the police officers had relayed their apologies that they had ever doubted the Hokage for adopting an heir. Naruto worked hard, and was one of the strongest cadets on the force.

"What is your evaluation?"

"Positive. The Academy students are progressing well. They might not be cadet-level, but then they're starting four years later than cadets. Some are definitely ready to graduate from the Academy and receive their seals."

"How did you test them without revealing your identity?"

Naruto grinned proudly, and gestured at the teammate on his right, the girl.

"Akemi came up with the idea. We disguised ourselves to look like Konoha Policemen, and said it was a routine skills check. The kids went all out in the hopes of impressing us. They're going to be assets to Konoha a few years down the road."

"Any signs of resentment, or bad feeling against the Uchiha? We must keep careful watch over the Academy and its instructors, since they have so much influence over the training of Konoha's shinobi. One traitor in the Academy can impact an entire generation. We are only lucky Mizuki decided to run, instead of spreading his poison into the ears of the Academy students."

Naruto nodded emphatically. The traitor Mizuki had attempted to escape about a year ago, almost making it out of the village with valuable scrolls from the Hokage's Tower.

"None. The instructor Umino Iruka seemed tense, but it was probably only because he was worried about how his students would do during our examination. I can't believe a chunin couldn't see through our disguise techniques!"

"You have all improved greatly," Madara agreed. "In light of what you've told me, I declare your mission a success. Draw your pay from the quartermaster and report back to barracks."

All three saluted again, and two turned to go. Naruto stood still, and fidgeted.

"Is there something else?"

"Well… um…" Naruto began. Then he blurted out, "Please give us a _real_ C-rank mission!"

"Naruto!" said the girl in a shocked whisper. The boy, Takeshi, just looked horrified.

Madara laughed. He shouldn't have been surprised. Naruto was a Cadet with justified confidence in his own abilities, and he wanted to test his strength out in the world.

"And what will happen to the village, if the Hokage's son died on a mission?"

Naruto scoffed. "What will happen to the village if our warriors think the heir is a pansy who's too scared to step outside the walls? You put me in Cadet training to show I deserved their respect. Well, I'm ready to earn it!"

"No shinobi deserves respect who foolishly throws himself into danger too great for him to handle," Madara pointed out, though he knew he was only stalling.

"That didn't bother you when you sent me after Mizuki!" Naruto said, with the triumphant grin of someone who knows he's found the flaw in an opponent's argument.

"Your squad was only one of many in that search party. If I'd known you would actually find him before the others, I would never have sent you out. The three of you should not have had to fight a chunin while barely even Cadets. I blame that damned dog and its nose."

From his perch on Takeshi's head, Hinamaru gave an excited bark at hearing himself mentioned.

Madara had been dumbstruck when Naruto's squad returned, the three cadets leading a squad of ten shadow clones carrying the traitor's unconscious body. Apparently Naruto had taught himself the Shadow Clone jutsu from Mizuki's stolen scroll, and he did it in the time that it took to return from the forest where Mizuki had been hiding. Madara could remember the line of jaws dropping, as Uchiha officers realized the heir had not only captured the traitor, but also managed to master a jonin level technique in a few hours.

"Still, you sent us out of the village! And we beat Mizuki easily. We're more than ready for a mission outside the village! I'm not asking for a B or A-rank, just one tiny, little C-rank. _Please_… Hokage-sama," Naruto added belatedly, no doubt aware he was pushing his limits.

Madara thought about it, but couldn't find any real reasons to say no. Something like a protection mission, where the only danger would be bandits and the occasional squirrel, would be well within the capabilities of Naruto and his team. There was also the fact that Naruto was right about needing to earn the respect of his fellow Military Policemen. If Madara kept Naruto from the missions that would normally go to a Cadet his age, there might be talk of favoritism. That would do the boy no favors.

Also, there was the question of the half-blood Inuzuka.

"You there, Cadet… Takeshi, I think your name is?"

Naruto looked crestfallen at the change in topic, while Takeshi looked like he might faint.

"Ye… -yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Have you managed to activate your sharingan yet?"

Takeshi swallowed hard.

"Not yet, sir. I'm trying hard."

The girl tried to hide a smirk. She must have already manifested, which was impressive for one so young. Not many Uchiha awakened their power that soon. Madara had been younger, as had Itachi, and very few others. She must have a powerful will to succeed.

He focused back on Takeshi.

"I'm sure you are. Keep on training, and I trust you'll be a full member of the clan before long."

Though not unexpected, the boy's failure thus far was unfortunate. Madara couldn't set his plans for Naruto into motion until he was able to see how the sharingan interacted with different blood.

Once again, Madara cursed his lack of foresight back during the invasion. The Copy-nin Kakashi would have been exactly the case study Madara needed, since he had received his sharingan and successfully utilized its power. But he was no use to anyone, now. Not after Madara had let Fugaku take his revenge for his lost leg.

Now Takeshi was his only current opportunity for study. If his bloodline failed to manifest, Madara would be forced to take more drastic measures. But if it could be avoided, he had no desire to rip out the eyes of one of his warriors and waste it on someone not of the clan. They would just have to be killed afterward anyway, which would be a waste of two lives that were of use to the village. Besides, while he waited for Takeshi's sharingan to manifest Naruto got to live the life of a Military Cadet for a little longer. But not too long. Naruto was not just a Cadet, and the time was coming when he would have to remember that.

Perhaps a C-rank mission was exactly what was needed. A little danger, real enough to shake Takeshi up a bit, might accomplish what his training hadn't. And there _was_ a C-rank mission available that would serve admirably.

Madara turned his attention back to Naruto.

"As it happens, there is a mission that might be appropriate for you three. A man from the Land of Waves came here recently, requesting protection from bandits on his way home. I was going to send a team of Sealed genin and their jonin sensei, but you will serve just as well."

"_Really?_ Thank you, fa—Hokage-sama!"

Madara almost laughed at Naruto's slip-up.

"This isn't a favor," he said sternly. "You need experience, and there's only one way to get it. I also have a secondary mission for you, Takeshi," he added to the boy with the dog on his head. "It's a B-rank mission, and if you complete it I'll compensate you accordingly. The condition for success is just this: activate your sharingan."

Takeshi gaped like a fish. Madara made an effort to sound reassuring.

"Don't worry, there are no consequences for failure. But think of this protection mission as an opportunity to show everyone that you're a true Uchiha. One of your teammates is my son, and the other has already awakened her sharingan." He nodded at Akemi, who swelled with pride at his notice. "Don't you think you should try even harder to get stronger, so you don't hold them back?"

Takeshi nodded fervently, showing a mixture of fear and determination.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I won't fail this mission! I mean, I won't fail either of them!"

"Excellent," Madara replied. "Squad 13, report to the Hokage's Tower at 0700 hours tomorrow morning. Your commander will be Captain Uchiha Hansuke. Follow his orders and carry out your mission like true Cadets of the Konoha Military Police!"

"Yes, sir!"

Then came three identical salutes, after which the three energetic Cadets left the Hokage alone in his study.

oOoOo

Itachi and Sasuke stood respectfully, waiting for Gato to speak. It was a familiar scene, one they had replayed dozens of times over the last four years. Sometimes Sasuke felt as though he knew Gato's office better than his own room. He knew every last one of the paintings on the wall, thrown up for no other reason than to impress guests with Gato's wealth.

That was the tone of the entire building. Ostentation without taste, wealth without discernment. It was the office of a thug, no matter how rich.

"I have a new job for you two," Gato said at last. "There's a man making trouble for my company. I want you to stop him from making trouble. Permanently."

He handed Itachi a picture. Sasuke looked over his brother's shoulder curiously. Their target was an old man, sun-browned and hardy. He had a distinctive brown beard, and clear eyes undimmed by age.

"This is Tazuna. He's started building a bridge to connect the Land of Waves to the mainland. I'm sure you understand why I can't let that happen."

Itachi nodded in understanding.

"Gato Shipping Company won't have a monopoly if Tazuna completes his bridge. So you want us to kill him before he gets the chance."

"That's right. The villagers look up to him, so once he's gone there won't be anyone left willing to stand against me."

"Where does he live?" asked Itachi. "We'll take care of it right away."

Gato laughed scornfully.

"If he was staying at home, I wouldn't need your services at all. Zouri and Waraji could pay him a visit, which would save me your truly exorbitant fees."

Waraji, who was standing beside Gato's desk like a human statue, put a hand on the hilt of his katana. Sasuke had seen the big man use that weapon a few times; he was very fast. Not as fast as Itachi, but very fast. Sasuke wondered if he would be able to take him in a fight.

"We charge high because we're the best," Itachi reminded their employer. "You've said so yourself, time and again."

"Which is why you're here," Gato agreed. "Tazuna managed to cross into the Land of Fire a week ago. Word has it that he's gone to hire protection for himself and his precious bridge. When he comes back, he'll have a full shinobi team guarding him."

Gato smashed his hand down onto the desk, gritting his teeth with rage.

"That insect _dares_ to meddle with my business! The amount of money I'm going to have to waste containing this mess doesn't bear thinking about. Why can't people just stay bought and do as they're told?"

Sasuke wondered if they were supposed to respond. Itachi remained silent, so he thought probably not.

"The truth is," Gato said once he'd calmed down, "this is an insignificant country in the butt-end of nowhere. What with that and the sea trade, it's a perfect spot to consolidate my interests and spearhead the organization. But first Tazuna has to go. He's the last piece on the chessboard, the king I have to capture before the game ends. And you're just the pawns to do it."

Sasuke bristled, both at the tiresome metaphor and the deliberate insult. Gato never missed an opportunity to put his underlings in their place, and it was beyond aggravating. Sasuke had wished more than once that they weren't dependent on this leech, so he could give him the beating he deserved. But Itachi bore it all with unflinching calm, so Sasuke did his best not to lose his cool.

"He went to the Land of Fire," said Itachi, considering. "That means he'll hire shinobi from—"

"Konoha," Gato declared. "The stronghold of the red-eyed Uchiha. You're not scared, are you, Hiro? Does the thought of the sharingan make you weak at the knees?"

"It's nothing we can't handle," Itachi answered, refusing to rise to Gato's bait. "Besides, hiring Konoha's best won't come cheap. Squads from Konoha's elite Military Police force generally only leave for A-rank missions, or for much more money than this Tazuna is likely to have at his disposal. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Well then," Gato said, flapping a hand lazily in dismissal. "I won't worry. Meet with Zouri on your way out. He'll give you half your fee now, and the other half when you bring me the body."

"Until then."

Itachi and Sasuke bowed, and left Gato's office. Zouri handed them a small purse, which clinked musically when Itachi tucked it into his belt pouch.

Sasuke felt torn as he followed his brother to their small apartment in the city. He'd never actually assassinated a civilian before. Of course, he'd killed men, and in cold blood. Killing quickly and efficiently was what he'd been trained to do, and he did it well. But all the lives he'd ended had been those of men who'd at least made the decision to pick up weapons, and live or die by their swords. Being used to kill a simple bridgebuilder left a sour taste in Sasuke's mouth.

The four years he'd spent in the Land of Waves with Itachi had made him grow up, and more than just physically. Almost three of those four years he'd spent on ships, protecting cargo from pirates and competing shipping lines. During that time he'd learned that fighting was not noble, or exciting. It was hard, brutal work, in which men died choking, screaming, and weeping.

Sasuke had always been slightly ashamed whenever Itachi went out of his way to avoid a fight. Now he thought he understood. He didn't succeed by killing the other side. He succeeded by making his enemies decide not to attack in the first place. Achieving one's objective without unnecessary bloodshed was the true victory.

This business with Tazuna seemed like nothing more than unnecessary bloodshed. Gato was one of the richest men alive; did he really need to kill people just to keep from letting merchants send their goods overland?

But it wasn't Sasuke's place to question. It wasn't about morality, really. It was more a question of loyalty. Itachi's loyalty was to the people of Konoha. Sasuke's loyalty was to Itachi. To achieve their goals they had to maintain their cover, even if it meant killing an innocent man.

However, Sasuke knew Itachi was going through the same mental argument. It hadn't been Sasuke who'd made the decision to stick to mostly protection missions, where the only fighting had been against pirates or thugs who'd attacked first. No, when Itachi had refused to kill Shisui all those years ago, it had been a choice that stuck with him. He would go out of his way to make sure no unnecessary blood was spilled.

In fact, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if Tazuna somehow managed to come out of this alive. Itachi might somehow manage to spin this so that Gato was satisfied, and Tazuna remained alive but in their debt. It wouldn't be the first time that Itachi had cultivated an informant by placing someone in his debt. During their travels Itachi had managed to create a modest little news network, made of people in all countries and all walks of life who owed the two Uchiha brothers a debt. Maybe Itachi could fake Tazuna's death, and relocate him somewhere where he could make a new life for himself.

Of course, that was getting ahead of himself. Sasuke couldn't afford to forget about Tazuna's protection. A full squad of shinobi, Tazuna had said. Sasuke grinned with anticipation. There was a chance he was going to face his clan members in battle. If so, the next step of Itachi's plan would begin sooner than either brother had anticipated. Either way, it wouldn't be long before the Uchiha clan would rue the day it had betrayed Konoha's trust.

oOoOo

"Are the brothers gone, Zouri?"

"Yes, sir," the hooded samurai replied. "They headed downtown five minutes ago. We're secure."

"Good. Send them in."

"Right away." Bowing low, Zouri left Gato's study once again. He returned, two newcomers following in his wake. He ushered them inside.

"Momochi Zabuza, welcome to Gato Company. I've heard much about you," Gato grinned at his guest, "all of it bad."

Zabuza, the Demon of the Bloody Mist. He certainly cut an impressive figure. Like Waraji, he went shirtless, but with Zabuza you got the sense that he wasn't showing off. He just felt more comfortable that way. Likewise his forehead protector was twisted carelessly to one side, and he held his gigantic sword slung casually over one shoulder.

Gato had heard of that sword. Kubikiribocho, the sword that stayed in perfect condition by harvesting iron from the blood of its victims. A fitting weapon for such a bloodthirsty shinobi.

He frowned at the figure next to Zabuza. It seemed to be a girl, around Hiro's brother's age. She was dressed as a fighter, though, with a forehead protector that kept her long, black hair from falling into her eyes. Why did these rogue shinobi always seem to be running around with children in tow? Was it some rule that they had to have an apprentice before they could abandon their village? Gato shook his head. If Zabuza felt the need to have his apprentice tag along, Gato wouldn't be the one to question. Just as long as he could get the job done.

"Let's skip the pleasantries," Zabuza said, his voice a low and raspy growl. "The only thing I'm interested in is your money."

"Straight to the point, eh? I like that, it's a good approach to business. Or life, for that matter." Gato grinned conspiratorially at Zabuza, who didn't respond. Gato sighed theatrically.

"Very well, down to business. There are some people I need you to kill."

"Obviously," Zabuza snorted, "or I wouldn't be here. Who's the target?"

"There are multiple targets. Here is the primary, a bridgebuilder named Tazuna." He handed Zabuza the file with Tazuna's picture.

"He is a threat to my interests here in the Land of Waves, and I need him dead. He is in the Land of Fire at the moment, but will return after hiring protection from Konohagakure."

Zabuza perked up at that. "So he'll have some Uchiha with him? That will be interesting."

"He may, though without enough money Konoha will only give him the dregs of their forces. Children and Sealed shinobi, most likely."

"I hope not," Zabuza growled, "a few Uchiha might make this job slightly less boring."

"Never fear," Gato assured him, "I am confident this job will challenge you. There's more, you see." He handed Zabuza two more folders. The ex-Kiri nin took the photos out of folders and looked them over, his eyes devoid of any expression.

"In order to make sure this man is killed, I have already sent out these two assassins. I want you to keep track of them, and kill them. Before or after they've killed Tazuna, it makes no difference to me. As long as all three are dead, you'll be richly rewarded."

"Hiro and Isamu, the two brothers from Kumo? I've heard they're pretty good." Zabuza broke off, staring at Gato with eyes that seemed to pin him to his chair. "I've also heard they work for you."

Gato swallowed hard, and broke eye contact. "I've hired them here and there, these past four years. That's my problem. They are far too knowledgeable about my operation, and I can't afford the hassle it would cause if Hiro decided he wanted to make a play for my position."

"Fair enough," Zabuza said with a shrug. Gato almost sighed with relief. The man's killing intent was potent, even when not fully focused. "They're as good as dead. But Gato," and suddenly the killing intent was back, "if you ever even think about pulling a similar stunt with _me_, Hiro will be the least of your worries."

Waraji growled and started forward, drawing his katana. Before a foot of bright steel cleared the scabbard, a flurry of senbon pinned his hand to the hilt. Blood dripped from his hand, landing on the floor with a soft _plop_. Gato gaped openly. The little girl had moved so quickly he hadn't even seen her until she came to rest, one hand outstretched with more senbon needles at the ready.

"Stand down, Waraji," Gato said to his bodyguard, who had already stopped, and was looking down at his hand with an expression of pure terror.

Gato looked up at Zabuza with a sickly smile. "Of course not. Since what you want is money, our partnership will profit us both."

Zabuza nodded acceptance, and Gato began to regain his equilibrium. He motioned for the two shinobi to leave, but called after them before they reached the door.

"Zabuza?" The Kiri nin swung around. "I gave Hiro a deposit for taking the job. Consider that part of your payment as well. It wouldn't do to waste all that money on a corpse, now would it?"

His laugh sounded a little shaky, even to his own ears. Zabuza just walked out, his apprentice sticking to him like a shadow.

Once outside, the two walked for a little while in silence. Haku looked at Zabuza several times, finally deciding to ask.

"Are we going to kill all three?"

"Of course," Zabuza answered immediately. "This is our first job with Gato, and already I'm rich. A few more of these jobs, and I can start moving against Kirigakure. The Mizukage won't escape me a second time."

"Gato seems willing to betray his own men," Haku pointed out carefully. "What if he's hired men to do to us what we're going to do to the two brothers?"

Zabuza looked at Haku for a moment.

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

Haku let it go, nodding respectfully.

"Anyway," Zabuza added, "forewarned is forearmed. I trust you to catch anyone the penny-pincher sends after us before they have a chance to get close. And once Gato outlives his usefulness, I'll just kill him. Problem solved."

The pair kept walking, until they came to a rundown warehouse in a particularly dirty part of the docks. No one walked these streets at night, unless you counted the rats that scurried to and fro in the shadows. Zabuza led the way through the front door, turning on a small, flickering light that barely scratched the surface of the darkness.

"Hey boss!" a voice greeted him. Two dark forms walked into the weak light.

"Boys," responded Zabuza. "I've got a little job for you."

The Demon Brothers grinned, knocking their metal claws together in a deadly parody of a high five.

"Some excitement? Finally! I thought we were going to suffocate in here."

"So what's the job, Boss?" Meizu asked eagerly.

"In a few days a bridgebuilder will be heading toward the ferry from the Land of Fire to the Land of Waves. He'll have a squad from Konoha for protection. The bridgebuilder is our target."

Gozu and Meizu suddenly seemed a lot less eager.

"Konoha?" Gozu ventured timidly. "But that means Uchiha… we'd get creamed!"

"I told you when you decided to come with me that I need obedience. You're tools, not comrades. The next time you question my orders I'll kill you myself."

The Demon Brothers gulped in unison, nodding vigorously.

"Sorry boss."

"Here's the good news. The bridgebuilder is poor. That means it's very unlikely there will be any Uchiha with the target anyway. The worst you'll have to worry about is a jonin, probably along with a squad of green genin."

"Leave it to us, boss!" Gozu said, confident again. "We'll gut this bridgebuilder for you, no problem."

"You'd better get going," Zabuza said. "He's probably in Konoha as we speak. If he makes it to the bridge alive, I'll have both your hides."

"Yes, boss!" The Demon Brothers packed a few days worth of provisions and took off, leaving Zabuza and Haku alone in the warehouse.

"You didn't tell them about the other targets," Haku observed.

"They don't need to know. Taking out Hiro is our job. Once we find him, we'll wait until he goes after the bridgebuilder. If the Demon Brothers have already killed him, Hiro will think his job is over and let his guard down. If the brothers fail, we'll ambush Hiro after he attacks Tazuna. One way or another, Hiro will die by my hand."

oOoOo

Naruto sat with his teammates in the cafeteria, idly picking at his food and wishing it was ramen. Takeshi was still shaking from his interview with Madara. Akemi, as usual, was trying to pick a fight.

"I can't _believe_ he gave you a _B-rank_ mission just to do something you're supposed to do _anyway!_"

"I wish he hadn't," answered Takeshi. "If I don't activate my sharingan, I'll be that much more of a failure."

"Don't say that!" Naruto told him firmly. "You're not a failure. Who was it who found Mizuki when nobody else in the village could? And who beats the crap out of every other Cadet out there?"

"Hinamaru found Mizuki, we just followed the scent trail. And I can't beat you, or Akemi."

"So we beat you when we spar. That doesn't mean anything. It's not about what happens in the practice ring. When the danger is real, I trust both of you not to let me down."

Takeshi looked confused.

"Wait a second, Naruto. You tried to cheer me up by saying I could beat every Cadet out there. And then you said the practice ring doesn't matter. You're contradicting yourself!"

"Am I?" Naruto said with a laugh. "Fine, I contradict myself. I contain multitudes!"

He made a few hand seals and twenty other Narutos popped into existence. They all started talking at once, telling Takeshi how great he was. Takeshi dissolved into helpless laughter. Even Akemi smiled a bit. All the other officers in the cafeteria looked annoyed at the commotion, but that only made the two boys laugh harder.

"Naruto!" Akemi hissed. "Cut the jutsu, General Fugaku is here!"

The shadow clones disappeared instantly, and Naruto looked around in panic. The one-legged general stood at the door, one hand on his cane. His disapproving eyes were locked on Naruto.

"Disturbances in the mess hall will not be tolerated," he said quietly. His voice effortlessly carried through the hall, and conversations stopped abruptly as the officers turned to watch the spectacle. "Not even from the Hokage's son."

"Yes, General," said Naruto respectfully. "It won't happen again."

The carefree chatter resumed once the General made it through the far door.

"Wow," Naruto breathed once the danger was past, "I thought I was done for."

"Yeah," agreed Takeshi, "he's really scary."

"Treat the General with more respect," Akemi said. "He's the Hokage's right hand, and our superior officer."

"But why does he have to be so grouchy all the time?" Naruto complained. "At least father can take a joke, even if he's the Hokage."

Akemi sighed with exasperation. "Don't you know anything? He was the head of the clan before Madara took over. And Itachi and Sasuke were his sons."

"The traitors who ran away?"

"Yeah," Akemi nodded, "he was left without an heir, and then he lost his leg in the Night of Reclamation."

The Night of Reclamation was the night when Madara had led the Uchiha clan against the Third Hokage and his loyal shinobi. The Council had been corrupt, and had been planning to exterminate the Uchiha. But thanks to Madara's foresight, the Uchiha had been able to strike first.

Naruto winced. Losing both of your sons was bad enough, and losing a leg after that just seemed like pouring lemon juice in an open wound.

"Gosh, I didn't realize he had such a sad past," Naruto said thoughtfully. "But I still say he's scary. Even if he only has one leg, I wouldn't want to have to fight him."

"You've got that right," Akemi agreed. "My father told me a Lieutenant challenged Fugaku's right to lead the Military Police, saying he couldn't fight with his disability. Fugaku beat him with just his eyes. It took the Lieutenant three days to die, and father said he screamed in agony the whole time."

Takeshi and Naruto gaped. That was real power.

"Hey," Takeshi said after a moment. "I just remembered. I ran into Squad 12 a few days ago, just after they finished inspecting the dungeons. Genji said something about the General, and a prisoner."

"What did he say?"

"He said one of the prisoners was the shinobi who took Fugaku's leg."

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Genji's full of hot air," Akemi said scornfully. "Use your heads, the both of you. Would the General leave him alive? Of course not!"

"Unless he wanted the man to suffer. Genji said the prisoner only has one eye. His other one…" Takeshi paused, enjoying the way both of his teammates were hanging on his every word. "His other eye had a sharingan!"

Naruto felt his own eyes widen. Akemi snorted.

"Impossible! Only the Uchiha can use the sharingan. Genji must have been into his father's sake."

"It could explain a lot, though," Naruto said. "I mean, the General is probably the strongest shinobi in the entire village, after the Hokage. Not just anyone could have hurt that badly. They probably had a really powerful secret weapon. Like a stolen sharingan."

Takeshi looked extremely hopeful.

"Do you know what that means? If someone without any Uchiha blood at all can use the sharingan, then maybe mine will manifest after all! I mean, even a half-blood Uchiha has to be better suited to the sharingan than someone entirely outside the clan."

"Hey, you're right!" said Naruto happily.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Akemi scoffed. "Just because Genji said he had a sharingan doesn't mean it's true, and even if it was, it has nothing to do with whether or not your sharingan develops. You might just be too weak."

"Do you always have to be a brat?" Naruto asked her tiredly. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well," said Naruto, turning to Takeshi. "There's only one way to find out. We have to see this prisoner for ourselves!"

"What?"

"Yeah! Let's go to the jail, just like Squad 12 did. Then we can find out if Genji was telling the truth!"

"But we won't be allowed in!" Takeshi objected. "Only authorized personnel can get past the guards, or Cadets with the proper orders from the Hokage."

"Well then, we'll just have to go as officers with the correct authorization. Remember our mission at the Academy? We'll do it just like that. If our disguises fooled the chunin instructor, we can definitely get by some prison guards."

"But we have a mission tomorrow!" Akemi pointed out.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked innocently. "Scared?"

Just like that, the matter was settled.

oOoOo

The three members of Squad 13 slipped out of the barracks two hours before curfew. With luck, they would be back before anyone missed them.

"Let's disguise ourselves now," Naruto said, before they left for the prison, "we might be noticed if we henge too close to the guards."

"Good idea," Takeshi agreed, and Akemi nodded grudging acceptance. She hated agreeing to any of Naruto's suggestions, even if they were good ones. Akemi would inevitably try and take charge during their field exercises, even though Naruto was the Hokage's heir. It was one of the things Naruto liked most about her, that she wasn't overawed by his status, but it often made trouble during missions when they butted heads.

With a small _poof_ and a puff of smoke, Naruto disappeared and was replaced by Captain Tanaki. He could do a near-perfect imitation of the man who had so often hunted him during his pranking days. Naruto had come a long way from his first days in Cadet training, when he could barely create a simple clone.

Akemi and Takeshi disappeared, replaced by mirror images of the two chunin in Tanaki's squad. They had practiced for hours to get the appearances right, so that when they went to the Academy to evaluate the students' performance they would pass as full-fledged Military Policemen. Now their disguises would help them once again.

A few minutes later they arrived at the prison, moving with the determined purpose of Policemen on a mission. Konoha's main prison facility was a large compound in the sparsely populated downtown area. The buildings were all alike, made with the same ugly, red brick. Around the entire compound was a fence with barbed wire coiled at the top.

Any shinobi worth his headband would find the fence a laughable obstacle. But then, most prisoners weren't shinobi, only villagers who had committed some infraction. Crimes committed by shinobi generally carried harsher penalties than jail time. Looking at the prison, Naruto was finding it more and more unlikely that the clan would keep anyone truly dangerous in such a mundane location.

"Ok, guys," Naruto whispered to his squad, "time to test our disguises. Leave the talking to me. I know," he said to Akemi before she could protest, "and I'm not trying to strut or anything. But this will go better if only one of us talks, and I do the best Tanaki impression."

"Fine," Akemi spat, "but I am _so_ being the Captain next time!"

"Sounds fair. Right, fall in." Naruto led the way to the guard post, which was placed to the side of the only entrance through the fence. A bored-looking Uchiha sat inside the glass box, listening to a song on the radio.

"How can I help you?" he asked Naruto, who was leading the other two and clearly in charge.

"Captain Tanaki, here to check up on a prisoner. It won't take long."

"Which prisoner?"

Naruto drew himself up, trying to get Tanaki's self-important bluster perfectly accurate.

"That's the Hokage's business, Officer. I'd hate to have to report that a prison guard was sticking his nose in where it didn't belong."

The bluff seemed to work. The officer's bored look had been replaced with fear, and he straightened in his chair and gave Naruto a salute.

"Of course, didn't mean to offend, Captain. Just curious, you know."

"Very bad trait to have, curiosity. Could get you killed, you know." This time Naruto's detached tone was his best imitation of his training officer, Hansuke. Hansuke shouted at them all the time, but he was at his scariest when he assumed a mild tone, like he was commenting on the weather. That always prefaced the most painful episodes for the Cadets under his eye.

"S-sir, sorry sir! Please go right on ahead!"

Naruto could hear the small sigh of relief as he led his team inside. He felt slightly disappointed in the guard. The Uchiha were supposed to be the best, but that had been almost laughably easy. Then again, sitting outside a prison all day guarding mostly villagers had to be dull work. Maybe it made sense that the less capable officers were assigned to that duty.

Naruto and his teammates walked into the main building. He went up to a man sitting behind a desk, secure behind a thick sheet of glass. Here was where he would find out if Genji's story was true or not.

"Good evening," Naruto began, "I'm Captain Tanaki, here to check up on a prisoner."

"Which one?" the man asked. "We've got hundreds. More thieves, beggars and pickpockets than you could shake a stick at."

"Not the small fry, friend," Naruto said with a wink. "We're here for _him_, the shinobi what did for the General's leg. The Hokage wants to make sure he's not getting too comfortable down here."

The clerk nodded knowledgeably. "Oh, the Hatake traitor? He's in Cell 5, in Quadrant 3. Give him a kick for me, Captain."

"Will do," Naruto replied, giving the man a thumbs up. "Right, let's make it snappy, guys."

Akemi and Takeshi followed him to the stairway, and they followed the signs to Quadrant 3. Quadrant 3 seemed to be a nothing more than a hallway, with barred doors at intervals on either side of the hall. Cell 5 was at the end of the hallway.

Naruto felt his excitement growing as they reached their destination. He motioned to his squad to remain silent as they came with sight of the prisoner within.

The interior of the cell was cramped, the only furniture a small cot pushed up against the back wall. On the cot sat a man in an orange jumpsuit, with a tall shock of white hair. His mouth was covered by a cloth tied in the back like a bandana. He sat with one side facing the three Cadets, his nose buried in a book with an orange cover.

Naruto stepped forward, suddenly unsure what to say. He hadn't planned beyond discovering whether or not the mysterious shinobi existed. Now they'd found him, he was at a loss.

"I see Genji has been gossiping," the man said without looking up from his book. "What brings you youngsters all the way down here? Come to see the wounded wolf in his cage?"

Naruto was too stunned to reply. Akemi tried to cover for him.

"How dare you speak that way to the Captain!" she said.

The prisoner snorted. "He's no more a Captain than I'm the Hokage."

"How could you tell?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not blind," the man said with a world-weary sigh. "Only half."

He turned to look at Naruto for the first time, revealing the eye that had been hidden from view. Or rather, he revealed the spot where his eye had been. The prisoner's right socket was a mess of ropy scar tissue.

Naruto gasped before he could stop himself, and heard Akemi and Takeshi do the same.

"I'm very pretty, aren't I?" the man asked mildly.

Naruto cast his mind around for something else he could use to change the topic. His gaze fell on the book still held in the prisoner's hands.

"How did you get that?" he asked curiously. "Are prisoners allowed reading material?"

"This? Oh, my jailer and I discovered that we have similar tastes in literature. He lent it to me. Probably felt a bit sorry for me, what with the eye and having my chakra sealed and all. Decent of him, actually. No doubt he'd get in trouble if anyone found out."

Naruto shivered. Having one's chakra sealed was the worst possible fate for a ninja. To never again feel the thrill of completing a jutsu, of molding and shaping chakra to your will? It would be worse than being blind, maybe even worse than death.

"Will you three drop those ridiculous disguises?" the prisoner asked suddenly. "You're here to satisfy your curiosity, at least show me the courtesy of appearing in your true forms."

Since he could see no reason not to comply, Naruto dropped the illusion, followed by Akemi and Takeshi. Naruto thought he saw Kakashi's good eye narrow, but in a second it passed and he dismissed it as a trick of the flickering light.

Takeshi had been growing more and more impatient, and now he seemed unable to contain himself.

"Is it true you had the sharingan? Was it the eye you lost?"

The prisoner stared at Takeshi silently, until the eager boy broke eye contact and looked sheepishly at his feet.

"Yes," he said at last. "I was once Hatake Kakashi, Copy-nin of Konoha and wielder of the Sharingan Eye. No longer. Now I'm just Kakashi, inmate of Cell 5."

Takeshi looked back up at Kakashi, amazement in his eyes. "And did you really cut off General Fugaku's leg?"

"Not quite," Kakashi said lightly. "What I actually did was create a rift in space that imploded around his leg and sent it to a different direction." His voice grew grim, and his eye glinted with a promise of violence that sent shivers down Naruto's spine. "Every day I wish I'd had better aim. The good General took my sharingan eye, and then paid me back in kind."

Kakashi threw off the covers on his bed, revealing the orange pants worn by all inmates. But the left pant leg was rolled up all the way to the knee, without anything to cover.

"I told you my name," Kakashi said, bringing his guests' attention back from his missing leg. "Why don't you pipsqueaks tell me yours?" He pulled the blanket back into its original position.

Naruto had the impression that Kakashi was looking at him when asked. Takeshi looked at Naruto warily, who only nodded. There was no reason not to tell Kakashi their names. It wasn't like he could do anything to them, imprisoned and powerless as he was.

"I'm Takeshi," Takeshi said. "And that's Akemi, and that's Naruto. We heard about you from Genji, who you know already."

"Naruto, hmm?" Kakashi said, lingering on the syllables as if savoring an unfamiliar taste. "Weird name. Almost as weird as those whiskers."

"Show some respect!" Akemi snapped angrily. Naruto looked at her in shock, not used to Akemi using her aggression when it wasn't aimed at him. "You're talking to Uchiha Naruto, the son of Uchiha Madara and next in line to become Hokage!"

Kakashi's eye widened, and he whispered, "Is that right?" A second later his bland expression was back, masking his thoughts just as well as the cloth covered the lower half of his face.

"So, _boy_," Kakashi said to Naruto, his voice dripping sarcasm, "you're going to become Hokage. You must be pleased. I remember a boy who looked a lot like you, though he was a little younger, who said he would do everything it took to become Hokage. He said that to another Hokage, a better man than Madara could ever hope to be."

Naruto reacted instantly to this slight against his father.

"The Third Hokage was a traitor and a murderer!" he spat, incensed. "He was in league with the Council to wipe out the Uchiha. Madara saved the entire clan, and has led Konoha wisely ever since!"

"Is that what he's telling everyone?" Kakashi said quietly. "I think you have cause mixed up with effect."

Naruto just shook his head.

"You know, you look a lot like your father," Kakashi said after a moment. Naruto was too stunned to respond. "But he would never have sided with a filthy murderer like Madara."

"SHUT UP!" Naruto roared. His breath came raggedly, but he held Kakashi's eye without looking away. "You know nothing about Madara. My father is a wise ruler, and a good man! He found me when I was all alone, and took me in. Everyone in the village hated me, for something I couldn't even control! Only Madara gave me a chance to show I'm not a demon. Only Madara ever cared for me. That's how I know he isn't what you say he is!"

Kakashi looked stricken. "Not everyone hated you," he said softly. "The Fourth Hokage wanted you to be seen as a hero when he sealed the Kyubi inside of you. Your father did as well, and would have cared for you if he'd lived. The Third Hokage looked out for you, and assigned people to protect you."

"Well, I never saw any of them. Where were these _protectors _when shopkeepers turned me away? No. I was alone, and if it wasn't for Madara I'd still be alone. And all of the Uchiha would be dead. Akemi, Takeshi, all of them. Madara is a hero!"

Naruto knew this wasn't why they had come to the prison. The point was to find out more about Kakashi's sharingan, to perhaps give Takeshi a hint about activating his. But Naruto couldn't take another minute with this crippled shinobi, who calmly denied everything he knew to be true.

"You know what," Naruto said defiantly, "there was a time when I would have given anything to hear about my father. Who he was, how he died… but even if you told the truth, I wouldn't want to hear it. Madara is my father, and a better one than the man whose blood I share. I'm proud to be an Uchiha!"

He turned on his heel and left, followed by Akemi and Takeshi.

"Wait, Naruto," Akemi said urgently, "we have to activate our disguises!"

"If the day comes when you're ready for the truth, you know where to find me!" Kakashi called out after Naruto's retreating back.

Then they were gone, and Kakashi was left alone in his cell. He looked for a moment at his orange book, lying abandoned on the bed, but left it where it was. Looking up at the ceiling, he gave a long sigh containing all of his grief and regret.

"I'm sorry, Minato-sensei," he said, his voice strangely muffled in the tiny cell. "I failed your son, just like I failed Obito. Just like I failed Konoha." Then he laughed, a harsh cackle tinged with hysteria. "But the gods must love irony, I think, sensei. After your death, and all that's happened, Naruto hasn't changed a bit—he's still the son of the Hokage!" Kakashi's laughter erupted again, uncontrollably. He laughed until his sides hurt, until his heaving gasps turned into breathless sobs, and tears ran down his cheek unchecked from his one good eye.

oOoOo

Later that night, Naruto lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Sleep would not come, and instead of the dark contours of his apartment all he could see was the prisoner in the orange jumpsuit. Kakashi's single eye stared at him every time Naruto closed his eyes.

_You know, you look a lot like your father._

The words rang hollowly in his mind, like a clocktower counting every minute instead of every hour.

Ruthlessly, Naruto quelled the thoughts searing the inside of his brain. Nothing had changed. Madara was still his father, and he was still a Cadet of the Konoha Military Police. His team was counting on him not to let them down.

_That's right._ _My team's counting on me_. Naruto nodded once, decisively. He had a job to do, starting tomorrow. He couldn't afford to waste his time dwelling on the poisonous words of a traitor. Naruto turned over, burrowing into his blankets and mentally listing the gear he would bring.

Tomorrow marked his squad's first mission. That was the only thing that mattered in the world.

By the time Naruto finally fell asleep, there was only one thought left in his mind. He would not fail.

**A/N:** Off we go! If you liked it, hated it, didn't have an opinion, then please review! Hearing from you helps me get better, and it motivates me to write more.

Also, a thousand points and a shout-out go to anyone who recognized the reference in this chapter. Here's a hint: it's from an amazing poem written by an American poet.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **This chapter is a little shorter than the others, because it only follows Naruto's squad as they leave for the Land of Waves. The next few are likely to be short as well, since each chapter will correspond to one fight. But on the bright side, that means I'll be able to update faster!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 7**

The first rays of dawn were just beginning to illuminate the top of Madara's Monument when Naruto arrived at the Hokage's Tower. He was thirty minutes early, but it was only thanks to a supreme effort of will that he hadn't left even earlier. He'd been up since 3am, alternatively pacing and checking his gear. His excitement practically left him quivering, making sleep impossible.

When Naruto reached the front entrance, he realized his team must have had the same problem. Akemi and Takeshi were already there, with packs on their shoulders and weapons at the ready.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Naruto asked knowingly. Takeshi looked a little sheepish, and nodded. Akemi scoffed.

"I wasn't _nervous_, idiot. Showing up early is only good strategy, whether you're starting a mission or laying an ambush for an enemy. I would have been impressed you remembered what we learned at the Academy, if you hadn't just admitted you were too scared to sleep."

"I wasn't _scared!_" Naruto retorted, waving his fist at her angrily. "I was excited. We're finally carrying out real missions. This is what we've been waiting for!"

"Well, I was scared," Takeshi admitted. "This is a huge responsibility. What if we fail?"

"Takeshi, you need to relax. Look at Hinamaru," he said, pointing to the white ninja hound, who was curled up, asleep, on the top step. "He knows this is gonna be a piece of cake. In fact, I bet he's dreaming about a bandit attack right now!"

"Bandits I could live with. But I don't think I'll activate my sharingan by fighting weak enemies."

Naruto put his hand on Takeshi's shoulder, his voice taking on a serious tone.

"Don't think about the sharingan, Takeshi. If I was Captain, that would be an order. If you're constantly worrying about it, you won't ever have a chance to activate it. Worse, you'll be a liability in a fight if you keep thinking about how you'd use your sharingan if you had it. You have your own moves, ones we've worked on ourselves and ones you've developed with Hinamaru. Think about how best to use those, and only those."

Akemi gave a short, sarcastic laugh.

"Ignoring your ridiculous fantasy of 'If I was Captain,' that's good advice, Naruto" she said scathingly. "You know the old saying 'a watched pot never boils.' And anyway, one set of sharingan eyes is all this team needs. Takeshi, you just let me know when your puppy sniffs out danger. Then get behind me, and let the _real_ Uchiha take care of it."

Takeshi growled at her, which only made her laugh. Naruto had noticed his teammate had developed many canine mannerisms since beginning his training with Hinamaru. They seemed to communicate with each other, and it was rubbing off on them both.

Naruto decided it was time to redirect the conversation.

"If you two are just going to argue, maybe we should go inside and wait for Hansuke-sensei."

He gave a tired sigh. Why did the role of peacekeeper always seem to land with him? He was not suited to mediation, being more comfortable when he was the source of chaos instead. Well, like it or not, it was obviously up to him to see that his teammates didn't kill each other. He wondered if this was the type of "command experience" that Madara kept talking about.

Squad 13 gathered up their things and went into the Tower, Akemi and Takeshi still looking daggers at each other. They made their way up the winding staircase, Hinamaru close at their heels. Naruto felt his excitement grow with each step.

When they reached his father's study, he paused for a moment, and turned to his teammates. "This is it," he said, feeling the moment required a little recognition. He put his hand out, just like he had all those years ago in the cemetery. Akemi rolled her eyes, but put her hand over his. Takeshi followed suit, and they all looked at each other with determination, in silence.

Then Hinamaru nearly knocked them all over by jumping up to put his front paws in, too. The tender moment disappeared, and all three Cadets dissolved into laughter.

Naruto knocked loudly on the door, three distinct raps.

"Come in," came the invitation from inside. Madara was behind his desk, waiting for them.

"Early, I see," noted Madara with approval. "I'm glad you're not treating this mission lightly. It's time you met your client. He's been waiting in my library. Tazuna, your protection detail is here!"

The door connecting Madara's study with his library swung open, and Tazuna entered the room. He looked strong, but he was old and his gait was unsteady. He took a long pull from a bottle of sake, and hiccupped. Naruto wasn't impressed.

And apparently, neither was Tazuna.

"What is this? I have a bunch of runts to protect me? You don't look like shinobi! Especially that short, blond one, with the stupid face."

Well, that did it. Naruto was about to launch himself at their new client, propriety be damned, when a strong hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

"Is that the discipline I taught you? I must not have beat you hard enough."

Naruto turned, his jaw dropping comically, to see Hansuke behind him. The jonin dropped his arm, and Naruto snapped to attention, along with his teammates.

"At ease," he said. "Hokage-sama, reporting as ordered."

"Very good, Hansuke. Carry on."

Hansuke nodded. "Right," he said, and walked over to Tazuna. The old man shrank in on himself as the muscular Uchiha towered over him.

"Listen here, old man," Hansuke said clearly. "You have the honor of being protected by four members of the Uchiha clan. The best Cadets in Konoha will bring you back to your fleabitten village, when the money you offered normally wouldn't be enough to hire a cart and donkey. I suggest you keep your mouth shut, and be greatful."

Naruto had been smiling wider and wider as this tirade wore on, and hearing his team described as the "best Cadets in Konoha" nearly made him explode with pride. Then Hansuke turned on the three Cadets.

"And as for you three. Maybe you think you know me because I was trained you to become Cadets. Maybe you think that makes us _friends_. Well, I have news for you. This is the Konoha Military Police. You're not genin fresh out of the Academy, and I'm not a jonin who's supposed to _nurture_ you, or some crap like that. That's why they have the Seals, and we have the crest." Hansuke pointed to the emblem of the Military Police on his flak jacket.

"Here's the deal. I am your commanding officer. I have one responsibility: completing this mission. You have one responsibility: obeying my orders. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Hansuke-sensei!" Squad 13 shouted in unison.

"You have a long trip ahead of you," Madara observed dryly. "Best you get started."

They all bowed to Madara, and departed. Tazuna cradled his bottle of sake like a newborn child, staying as far from Hansuke as he could get.

A few minutes later four shinobi, a bridgebuilder, and a dog exited the Hokage's Tower, and walked off in the direction of Konoha's front gate.

oOoOo

Naruto was bored. The thought of leaving the village was exciting, but the journey itself wasn't exactly thrilling. Tazuna set the pace for the group, and the man was _slow_. Naruto felt sure he could have been in the Land of Waves already, if Tazuna hadn't been with them. But it wasn't like he could complain about their employer slowing them down, so he bore it with patience. Or at least, he bore it in silence.

Akemi and Takeshi walked close to him, while Hansuke led their little procession. He scouted along the path in front of them every so often, motioning for the squad to circle Tazuna for extra protection whenever he went out of sight.

The next time Hansuke went ahead, Naruto used the opportunity to engage Tazuna in a little conversation. He stepped up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. Tazuna regarded him curiously.

"Hey, old man," he said, "no hard feelings about before. I just want to let you know, you can count on us to get you home safe!"

Tazuna blinked a little in surprise. His eyes were bloodshot, probably from the sake that he kept drinking as he walked. Naruto wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"You know, you probably shouldn't be drinking when we're on the road," he pointed out. "Better to be alert, in case anything happens."

"That's supposed to be your job, isn't it?" Tazuna let out a short bark of laughter, and turned away. "No wonder I feel like drinking…" he muttered.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "I heard that!"

A few feet ahead of Tazuna, Akemi whirled around and practically spat at him, "hush!"

"Yeah, Naruto," Takeshi added, "just because we're close to Konoha doesn't mean we're safe. If there were any bandits around, you'd bring them down on our heads."

"What kind of shinobi can't even keep his mouth shut?" Tazuna cackled.

Naruto seethed. Quietly.

Hansuke returned a few minutes later, looking seriously annoyed.

"Are you honestly incapable of following the simplest orders? I told you to guard the bridgebuilder, not give away our position to anyone who might be listening."

Naruto hung his head, but not before he sent a dark glare Tazuna's way. At this point he would welcome a bandit attack, so the stupid old man could see him in action. Maybe that would shut him up for a moment.

It made him feel slightly better when, in passing, Hansuke grabbed Tazuna's bottle of sake and chucked it into the trees off the side of the road. Tazuna made a strangled sound of protest, but choked it down.

"I won't tolerate any drunkenness or rowdy behavior from my Cadets, and I won't have it from you either."

After staring Tazuna down, Hansuke signaled a halt.

"We'll make camp in a few miles, and get started again in the morning. It won't be long before we reach the ferry to the Land of Waves."

Later that night, after cleaning up and setting alarms around the campsite, Naruto and his squad let themselves relax. Hansuke was taking the first watch, and Tazuna was snoring soundly.

"We should be sleeping while we have the chance," Naruto whispered, "since we have to stand watch in four hours."

"Sure we will," Takeshi answered, just as quietly. "But not just yet. That guy in the prison. Kakashi. We never got a chance to talk about him."

Naruto rolled over on one side, looking away from Takeshi. He didn't answer.

"Naruto," Takeshi said gently, "we know he got to you. He said a lot of stuff, about the Hokage, and… -and your father. It's ok to tell us how you feel about it. You shouldn't keep it all locked inside."

"I'm fine," Naruto snapped. "Just drop it."

"You're a lousy liar," Akemi said, surprising Naruto—and herself too, for that matter—with the unfamiliar undercurrent of gentleness in her voice.

Naruto rolled back over to look at the two of them, just barely making out their concerned faces in the weak moonlight.

"Ok," he said finally, "I'm not fine. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a long time, after. But everything I said was true. Madara is my father, and I'm proud to be his son. And you guys are my family too, and the best friends I have in the world."

Akemi made a gagging noise, and Takeshi swatted her. Naruto laughed, some of the tension receding.

"I promise you guys, I'm over it. I'm not going to let a traitor poison my mind. So please, let's just focus on the mission. I won't let you guys down."

"We know you won't," Takeshi said emphatically. "But remember, we're here for you if you want to talk. We're your friends, just like you said. You don't have to deal with everything alone."

"Just wait until we get back to Konoha," Akemi said, baring her teeth in a vicious smile. "We'll find out if that cripple can still spread his lies without a tongue."

"I think he's probably suffered enough," Naruto said, thinking of the man without eye, leg, or chakra. It was almost enough to replace his anger with sympathy. Almost.

"Let's get some sleep, guys. It'll be our turn for sentry duty before we know it."

His two teammates murmured soft noises of assent, and soon the camp was silent except for the bridgebuilder's rhythmic snoring.

oOoOo

The next day began without any unusual incidents. The Cadets packed their bedrolls away, and broke the camp down efficiently. By the time the sun was fully up the group was already many miles closer to the ferry.

Hansuke motioned to his team to guard Tazuna.

"I'm scouting ahead. I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Don't let your guard down."

They continued walking, the three young shinobi equally spaced around Tazuna. Walking ahead of all of them was Hinamaru, who came to a sudden stop and let out a soft growl. Every muscle in his body went taut, ready to spring.

Naruto looked ahead in confusion. The only thing on the road ahead was a puddle. What was Hinamaru sensing?

_Wait…_ -_it didn't rain yesterday_. Before that thought finished settling the water rose into the air and became two dark-haired men with gas masks, each wearing a giant, metallic claw.

Without a word, they charged forward. Hinamaru was closest, and leapt toward them with a snarl. The one with the claw on his right hand didn't hesitate, just hit Hinamaru with a casual backhand, which sent the hound flying into the bushes.

"Hinamaru!" Takeshi shouted, lunging forward. Naruto stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"Hold on! We have to protect Tazuna!"

Takeshi stopped his advance, sending an anguished glance toward Hinamaru, who was slowly regaining his feet.

Naruto managed to complete his Shadow Clone jutsu before the two assassins could close the distance with Tazuna. Twenty copies of himself charged, making an enormous racket as they hurled challenges and insults.

The attackers reacted immediately, by separating from each other and running in opposite directions. A thick, metal chain stretched between their claws, extending as the distance between them increased. They flanked the mob of clones, roping them in with the chain, which retracted with a snap. The chain tore through the clones with ease, dispersing them completely.

"I'll take these jokers," Akemi said, stepping forward to meet their charge. "Make sure they don't get around me."

"Don't let the chain hit you," Naruto cautioned. He knew Akemi was more than a match for these two in terms of speed, especially with her sharingan activated. As long as she avoided those claws and the razor-sharp wire, she wouldn't have any problems.

She spared a moment to give him a withering look. "Duh."

Akemi threw a brace of kunai with each hand, forcing the assassins to block with their oversized claws. While their vision was obstructed Akemi closed the distance with the one on the left, hoping to end things with a swift attack. Once one was incapacitated, their tag-team style would fall apart. But her first attack was blocked, and before she could get more than a few strikes she was forced to roll out of the way to avoid the other assailant, who was circling her in an attempt to catch her like they'd caught the clones.

Naruto knew he'd have to step in soon. Akemi wasn't in much danger of being caught by the chain, but she couldn't focus on one for long without leaving herself open to the other.

He was just about to go after the assailant circling Akemi when Hinamaru burst from the trees. The hound made a flying leap and caught the arm of Akemi's opponent, just as he was about to parry with a kunai. This left him open to Akemi's thrust, which caught him in the stomach. Another quick slash and his right arm fell to his side, useless.

He screamed in anguish and sank to his knees, staring in shock at the bright gout of red pouring out of the wound in his stomach.

"Brother!" The second assailant abandoned his claw, which was only dead weight now that the chain was lying uselessly on the ground.

He charged Akemi's unprotected back, when a kunai seemed to sprout in his eye. He collapsed face-first in the road, dead instantly. Naruto looked around in surprise. Where had that come from?

"Good work, you three," said Hansuke, stepping out from behind a tree. "Naruto, you did well in feeling out their techniques by sending in your clones. Takeshi, you remembered your orders were to guard the client. And Akemi," he walked over to the girl, who was standing awkwardly near the assassin she'd disabled. "Congratulations on your first kill. He was chunin-level, I'd guess, so you should be proud."

Akemi looked back and forth between her sensei and the man before, who, while wounded, was still unquestionably alive. His low moans hadn't stopped, and his eyes were fixed on his brother's dead body.

"He'll bleed out from that stomach wound in a day or so," Hansuke said, seeing her unasked question. "Bad way to go. You did for him, so give him a clean end." He jerked a thumb across his throat. Akemi's eyes went wide, but she nodded.

She approached the dying assassin, who made no move to resist. She held up her kunai, already wet with his blood, and slashed his throat. Akemi stood there for a minute, just looking at him, then limped over to the bushes where Hinamaru fell and was violently sick.

"No shame in that," Hansuke said to Naruto and Takeshi, though they hadn't said anything. "The first time is never easy. She'll be fine in a minute."

Naruto took deep breaths, telling himself that the danger was over. He was still tense, expecting more assassins to jump out from behind a rock, or something. He probably wouldn't be able to walk past a puddle without tensing ever again. But maybe that wasn't so bad. Nothing like a little healthy paranoia to keep a shinobi alive.

Akemi rejoined the group, her eyes hard and cold. Naruto held out his hand, which she gripped briefly before letting go. Hinamaru ran to Takeshi, jumping up and down as if to say, _Didn't I do good?_

Takeshi patted him absently, but kept his attention on Hansuke. Tazuna walked hesitantly up to stand with them, looking a little ashamed about something.

"I left you on purpose," Hansuke began bluntly. "I saw their chakra with my sharingan, and decided to see how you would handle yourself. As the Hokage's son, Naruto, this won't be the first assassination attempt you have to fight off."

Tazuna gave a surprised cough.

"You mean they weren't after Tazuna?" Naruto asked.

"Those weren't just bandits," answered Hansuke. "You see their headbands? They're from Kirigakure, or they were at one point. It's too bad I killed the second one, we could have learned who they were working for, and if they were ordered to kill you or capture you."

Naruto noticed Tazuna was fidgeting, and wondered if there was something he wasn't telling them. But Hansuke seemed to be certain that Naruto had been the target, and he would know, he was a jonin-sensei.

"What does this mean for the mission?" Akemi asked.

"Nothing. We're still going to bring Tazuna back to his home, we'll just be on the lookout for any other attacks."

Naruto thought Hansuke looked a little too excited by the prospect of another fight. He realized then that his sensei had been the training officer for Military Police Cadets for a long time now. Maybe he had been looking forward to this chance to stretch his legs outside the village just as much as Naruto.

"Th-thank you," Tazuna said, his gruff voice relieved. "I truly appreciate you continuing to protect me, even in the face of an attack on your Hokage's son."

When he looked at Naruto, his expression held a little of the respect Naruto had wanted so much yesterday, but now the blond Cadet couldn't muster much satisfaction. Instead, he just saw a bloody kunai, and Akemi's face when she'd stopped throwing up. It suddenly wasn't a game anymore, and Hansuke's matter-of-fact treatment of people trying to kill him made him feel very strange.

"That's another thing," Hansuke said, pointing at Tazuna. "This boy's identity is now your most closely guarded secret. If anyone you meet during this mission learns that Naruto is other than a regular Cadet, your death with be slow and painful. Naruto," he added, "you'd better find something to cover that hair of yours with."

"I will, sensei."

"Good. All right, let's get going. We're wasting valuable time."

They kept on the path, walking silently. Naruto looked over his shoulder at the two corpses in the road. He shivered slightly, and focused again on his surroundings. He had a bad feeling that things were just getting started.

oOoOo

The ferryman pulled his oars swiftly, sending the boat deeper into the fog. The boat had an engine as well, but Hansuke had been adamant that they travel in silence, the better to take advantage of the cover provided by the fog. He kept shooting terrified looks at Hansuke, who had been more than usually intimidating when impressing upon the man their need for speed and silence. The man's fear had been funny at first, but now it was starting to get on Naruto's nerves. In this fog that made it impossible to see more than a few feet from the boat, any fear was contagious, whether it was aimed at his sensei or not.

Akemi seemed to share his opinion. Her scorn was nearly tangible, and the ferryman shrunk from the fierce girl almost as much as he did from her imposing sensei. Tazuna was getting more and more nervous as they reached the land, which did not escape Naruto's notice.

"Will you be able to sense danger in this fog?" He looked around fearfully. "What if there are more assassins, just waiting for an opportunity to kill m—to kill Naruto?"

"Grow a backbone, man," Hansuke told Tazuna. "And relax, I'll notice anyone who gets close. Even if I don't, the dog will warn us for sure." He nodded at Hinamaru, who sat calmly in the bow of the boat, sniffing occasionally and looking supremely unconcerned.

"I'm pulling for you to get your sharingan, boy," he added to Takeshi, who jumped like he'd been stung. "Watching Hinamaru in action was a treat. And that nose of his is invaluable. Too many of the Cadets I train rely on their sharingan, and think any other power is useless. But that hound will be a good partner to have by your side."

Naruto thought if Takeshi opened his eyes any wider, his eyeballs were likely to fall out of their sockets. Not that he wasn't surprised, himself. He'd never seen this side of his gruff training officer before.

"Y—yes, sir," Takeshi stammered.

"We're almost there," the ferryman whispered. The Cadets looked out ahead of the boat. Sure enough, the fog was lifting a little. A ghostly shape emerged in the distance, growing closer and resolving into a small dock.

They disembarked quickly and quietly, and Tazuna gave the ferryman one last handshake.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help, Tazuna," the ferryman said sadly. "But you know how it is. My family and I will pray for your safety."

"And I'll do the same for you," Tazuna said hurriedly, as if he wanted to end the conversation.

The boat moved off into the fog once again. After a few seconds Naruto heard the muffled hum of the engine kicking into life, propelling the boat even farther from the bridgebuilder and his guards.

"Interesting farewell," Hansuke noted. "Are most people religious around these parts?"

"Oh, ah… yes, that's right, quite devout."

Naruto thought he saw a sheen of sweat on Tazuna's forehead. Hansuke just nodded, and signaled the group to start moving.

"Welcome to the Land of Waves," he said mockingly, gesturing at the small forest path that led away from the docks.

"It's a very poor country," Tazuna said defensively, "but it's enough for us. If there wasn't so much fog, you'd be able to see the skeleton of the bridge over that way, across the water. It's going to be a breathtaking sight when it's done."

Naruto grinned. "Way to toot your own horn, old man! 1000 yen says it falls over."

Tazuna grimaced at him, but it didn't seem like his heart was in it. He was too busy glancing around at the trees.

_Those guys with claws really got to him_, Naruto thought. Well, it was only to be expected. Tazuna wasn't a shinobi, so seeing such a deadly battle up close must have been very frightening for him.

In a few hours the mist had completely cleared. They made their way down a modest road that ran next to a river, cutting deeper into the island. There were a few clumps of trees and bushes around, enough to keep them all alert for danger. Naruto was especially leery of getting too close to the river. If a puddle was enough to hide two men, how many water-style users could hide in a river? He was almost tempted to use the Shadow Clone jutsu, just to have a few human shields between him and the potential danger.

Tazuna had just told they were about halfway to his home when the attack occurred.

Without warning, a masked figure stepped out from behind a tree. Naruto looked at Hinamaru, wondering why the dog hadn't warned them. For a second he thought this man might not be an enemy, despite the blank, threatening mask. But his words quickly banished any doubt.

"If you don't want to die, stand aside and allow us to leave with the bridgebuilder," the masked man said. His voice was hollow, expressionless, and as empty of feeling as the white mask on his face. Naruto shivered.

Hansuke was livid. Naruto wondered if the masked man had been as invisible to his sensei as he'd been to Hinamaru.

"We are officers of the Konoha Military Police," he declared. "We do not take orders from petty bandits. Although," he broke off, glaring at Tazuna, "I may kill you myself. You lied about your need for protection, didn't you? Were a few extra coins worth your miserable hide?"

Tazuna drew into himself, the normally hardy man looking unnaturally small and weak.

"I'm sorry," he said, to everyone Naruto assumed, though he kept his eyes on the ground. "I didn't have the money to pay for anything more."

"Save it," Hansuke snarled, turning back to the immediate threat posed by the masked man. "I'll deal with you later."

"What selflessness, to protect someone who's lied to you," the man said.

"Nah," Hansuke said, his face lighting up with a fierce smile, "I'll kill you just for fun."

"I wish I could say that I am sorry," the masked man said, "but I cannot. The world will be a better place with fewer Uchiha."

Hansuke pulled out a kunai with each hand, bracing himself. "Watch Tazuna," he snapped to the Cadets. "Don't engage unless I order you."

"Oh, I think your brave little Cadets will have enough to worry about," said the assassin. He pointed behind them. Naruto whirled around, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Sure enough, a second masked figure stood behind them, twenty yards away. This man—if he was a man—was no taller than Naruto, but his casual, self-assured stance exuded confidence.

Hansuke cursed. "Naruto, you're in charge for this one," he said. "Don't worry about keeping Tazuna out of the way, just take this guy out."

"Yes, sir!" Naruto snapped, falling back on habits reinforced by years of drill. Akemi and Takeshi fell in to either side of him, waiting for his orders.

For a moment no one spoke, and the burble of the river seemed unnaturally loud in the silence. Then the battle began.

**A/N:** It's on. Finally, Naruto and Sasuke meet (in case you couldn't figure out who the masked dudes are). Please read and review! I'd especially appreciate feedback on my fight scenes, which I find ridiculously hard to write. But you can't have a good adventure story without good fight scenes, so I'll keep trying.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Time for the big fight scene… hope I don't screw it up. Read and review please!

Also, huge thanks go to DigitalTart for being the best beta ever! I still have to edit Chapters 3-8 based on her suggestions, but the remainder of this arc is way more awesome than it would have been without her great ideas. Go check out **One Small Kindness**, and wait impatiently for her next story!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any characters in this story

**Chapter 8**

Sasuke was finding it hard not to reveal his shock. Facing him were two faces almost as familiar to him as his own, or Itachi's. Akemi and Takeshi stood across from him, along with a blond-haired boy that he recognized as the outcast Uzumaki Naruto. As he looked at his year-mates a hundred memories came flooding back.

Sitting on the pier with Akemi, talking about how they would become strong members of the clan someday. Walking home with her after tailing their older brothers, trying to spy on their training. Attending a clan gathering, looking curiously at the boy with the red markings, whom his father dismissed as a "filthy half-blood." So many memories, of these two and all the rest of his clan, of his family.

Oh, he had known a moment like this would come. When he stood before his clan, separated by nothing but the blade of a kunai. But what cruel fate had brought them here, the only other Uchiha his own age? He should be standing with them, strong and proud, as the third member of that team. Grief and regret threatened to overwhelm him, and he thanked Kami for his mask.

Things should have been different. Things should have been better. This was the life he should have had, going on missions and growing stronger, his friends at his side. But that was nothing more than a dream, now. And these were no longer his friends. No longer his family. The Leaf hitai-ite on their foreheads proclaimed their allegiance. Nothing could exist between them except hatred.

The blond-haired genin shifted impatiently. "Oi, you! Are you going to attack already, or just wait until we die of boredom?"

Sasuke examined him curiously, his mask giving no hint of the thoughts running through his mind. This was the village outcast, a pariah that his father had warned Sasuke not to approach. Why was he the only non-Uchiha member of this team? He and Itachi had learned that Sealed shinobi rarely fought alongside the elite Military Police. But all three genin had the symbol of the Military Police on the shoulders of their jackets. Was this boy that good?

_In a different world that would have been me,_ Sasuke thought grimly. _So you're my replacement, in a way. Let's see if you can measure up._

"What's your hurry, buttercup?" he drawled, making sure to throw his voice a little so Akemi didn't recognize it. "Shouldn't you enjoy these last few moments before you die?"

The look of outrage on the blonde's face was thoroughly enjoyable. Itachi would have disapproved, saying that taunting an opponent was ill befitting a true shinobi. That might be true, but then, it was so much _fun!_

"You're the one who's going to die! Try this on for size: **Shadow Clone jutsu**!"

Sasuke found himself surrounded by fifty copies of the blonde genin, all intent on ripping him limb from limb. They charged en masse, fifty voices combining to create an earsplitting war-cry.

Shadow clones were jonin-level, even without taking into account the sheer number of the clones. But their speed was not enough to threaten him. Sasuke pulled out two kunai and threw them in opposite directions.

The two clones he'd targeted dodged easily, then pointed at him and laughed. "Haha! You'll have to do better than that to catch us!"

Sasuke merely crossed his arms and pulled, feeling the tension as the wires brought the kunai around in a wide, sweeping circle. The two clones dispersed even before they'd finished mocking him, and Sasuke continued to send the kunai in dizzyingly fast circles using short, controlled motions with his hands. Even when the kunai missed the clones, the razor wire was just as deadly moving at such high speeds. Fifty clones had charged him, and in a few seconds became just as many puffs of smoke.

He allowed himself a small smirk. He hadn't even needed to ignite the wires with his fire jutsu or electrify them, which made for an even more devastating area attack. It would be good to conserve chakra, in case Itachi needed any help with the jonin.

Then Sasuke noticed something had changed while he was dispelling the shadow clones. Before there had been three genin standing in front of Tazuna. Now there was only one, the blond one, standing confidently with a grin on his face.

Sasuke looked left and right, confirming what he'd already guessed. Akemi and Takeshi were now on either side of him. He was surrounded. They must have used the clones as a distraction, using the time Naruto bought to gain a tactical advantage. It was good teamwork, he had to admit. Not that he would admit it aloud.

He sneered, though the mask probably lessened the effect somewhat. Well, you couldn't have anything. "Nice parlor trick. Too bad fifty times zero is still zero."

Naruto just crossed his arms. "So you're good at math. Then you can probably tell that three is greater than one any day."

"Not if the three are all zeroes, too. Give up now, and I'll let you live."

"Never!" Naruto shouted. "Giving up is against our ninja way. We're Squad 13, the strongest Cadets in all of Konoha! And I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the shinobi who's one day going to—" he broke off abruptly, stuffing a fist in his mouth and looking horrified.

Sasuke grunted. "Can't even finish a sentence, hn? How can you hope to finish a battle?"

The other boy glared at him. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the shinobi who's going to kick your ass!"

Sasuke extend his hand, twitching two fingers in an insulting "come here" gesture. It had worked wonders on the pirates he'd fought at sea, and it worked just as well here.

"Attack!"

The three Cadets charged.

oOoOo

If he hadn't been exchanging blows with the jonin Hansuke, Itachi would have sighed. This was the worst possible situation for Sasuke. He was fighting shinobi his own age, full of life and fire and determination. Already Sasuke had abandoned what he'd been taught—to kill silently, and quickly as possible. Sasuke would probably draw this out, just to relive his days as a member of the clan. That would make it all the more difficult to kill his opponents when the time came.

And that time would come. If not today, then one day down the road, when they returned to eradicate the Uchiha. Sasuke might have committed wholeheartedly to Itachi's cause, but he didn't yet know what that meant. Itachi did. It meant killing every single Uchiha, down to the last baby. Because even if they hadn't participated in the coup, they would fight tooth and nail against any intruder. And once Konoha was free again, there would be no room for anyone with red eyes. If Itachi and Sasuke didn't complete the job, the villagers and Sealed shinobi would. One way or another, the time of the Uchiha would end.

"You fight well." Itachi's opponent sounded surprised, as well he might. There were few who could match an Uchiha in taijutsu, since their predictive abilities made it so difficult to land any attacks. Of course Itachi had been more proficient in the clan's style of taijutsu than anyone else alive, so he knew how to alter his style to adapt. He made no direct attacks which Hansuke could exploit, never extending past a certain point and always keeping several options open. Itachi attacked like water, flowing into new and unpredictable stances without telegraphing his intentions.

He could see Hansuke growing visibly more frustrated, until the Konoha jonin jumped back, staring directly at Itachi. Suddenly there were twenty copies of Hansuke flitting around Itachi with speed he couldn't hope to track.

_A genjutsu, then_. Itachi closed his eyes, momentarily activating his sharingan and eradicating the traces of Hansuke's chakra altering his perceptions. When he opened his eyes they were normal again, and there was only one Hansuke. The man's eyes narrowed.

"You seem very comfortable facing our clan abilities. One might even think you've faced them before."

Itachi looked back at him calmly. There was no need to fear any more genjutsu, now that he had shown just how little it affected him. He knew Hansuke from his years as an ANBU; the man was strong, but lacked subtlety. It would be ninjutsu and taijutsu from now on, he was sure.

"I was told our target was going to Konoha to seek protection. It was only prudent to prepare myself. The bingo book has much to say about you, Uchiha Hansuke. High-ranking officer of the Military Police, decorated veteran of the Uchiha uprising… tell me, did you kill many Konoha shinobi that day? Were they all sound asleep in their beds?"

Hansuke snarled, his hands coming together to form a set of seals.

"**Dragon Flame**!" A monstrous wave of fire came from his open mouth, bearing down on Itachi with murderous intent. Itachi was already making his own seals, leaping back to buy himself more time.

"**Spinning Water Shield**." The moisture in the air disappeared, sucked into the shining sphere that revolved rapidly in front of Itachi. The fire hit the water and died out, converting the water into steam almost instantly.

Itachi cut the jutsu, confident that Hansuke possessed much less chakra than he did. Otherwise his shield would not have been quite as effective.

"Do you understand now? Your sharingan, your fire techniques, I know how to defeat them all. You have nothing that can defeat me."

Hansuke straightened, shaking off the drain following such a large fire jutsu. "You think so? Then I'll stop wasting my time with clan techniques, and fight you with my own!"

The jonin pulled out a scroll, which unrolled with a _snap._ It disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a bow and a quiver of arrows. The bow was fully six feet long and made of yew, with intricate flames carved along the length of the wood.

"I thank you," Hansuke said with a laugh. "I haven't been able to use this in earnest for years. You should know that to even see this bow is an honor, though one you won't live to enjoy."

Itachi inclined his head in a slight, ironic bow. "Then I consider myself honored. But do you think mere arrows will faze me, when the mightiest techniques of your clan have failed?"

_What is it_, Itachi thought, momentarily distracted from the fight, _that is so irresistible about taunting your opponent? Here I was looking down on Sasuke for it, and now I'm doing the same thing!_

"We'll just have to find out." Hansuke set three arrows to his bow and drew with his entire body, bringing his right hand back to his ear. "But you should know," he said, amusement plain in his voice, "these aren't your average arrows."

He loosed, sending three arrows speeding toward Itachi. The moment they left the bow, the tips ignited with a red chakra that swirled and danced, changed by the essence of fire.

oOoOo

Akemi was pissed. She should have known it would happen like this, when they fought their first battle against a worthy opponent. Of _course_ Hansuke had put Naruto in charge, the precious Hokage's son. Never mind that _she _had been the one to kill one of the assassins back on the road. Never mind that she possessed the sharingan, and was clearly the most capable to command. No, it was always going to be Naruto.

She could accept that he was a good ninja. And he was, technically, her best friend, along with Takeshi. But she couldn't suppress a pang of jealousy. This masked shinobi should be addressing his insults to her, not Naruto. She should be the one responding to his banter, and leading the charge.

_Whatever, _she thought, pushing aside her jealousy, _I'll just make sure _I'm _the one kill him._

Naruto sent them forward with his usual subtlety. "Attack!"

Akemi charged, intent on landing the first blow. Her sharingan was activated, the single tomoe she had sweated and bled for swirling rapidly. She saw the swirling chakra lying dormant within her opponent, and the similar cloud of chakra within Takeshi, who was closing in from the opposite direction. Time had slowed down, and she knew there was no way this boy could escape.

Her confidence fell when he ducked under her outstretched fist and swept her leg, ducking around out of the way. She flew forward, her face smashing directly into Takeshi's chest. The two genin went crashing to the ground. Akemi pushed herself up, furious. She had seen his chakra flair, showing her what he was doing, but it had been so _fast!_ How could he move at such speeds, without a sharingan to help him?

Naruto had not stopped his charge, and was trading blows with the masked shinobi, but none looked close to having an effect. In fact, it was as if the attacker was just playing with him.

Takeshi stood up and put his hand on Akemi's shoulder. She nodded at him. In a second they were back in the fight, approaching their opponent from two different directions. But this time, a little more cautiously.

Their opponent sensed them coming and brought out his kunai again. He threw them at Naruto and Akemi, who dodged. Just like with the clones, he began to spin the kunai using the attached wires, clearing the area around him for three meters.

Naruto caught Akemi's eye, motioning with one hand and a kunai, as if he was wrapping something around the blade. Akemi understood a second later, a fire lighting in her eyes. Maybe putting Naruto in charge hadn't been such a bad idea, after all.

She edged toward their attacker, who was secure in the center of his makeshift killing zone. Akemi drew an oversized kunai out of her belt pouch, tying it securely to her arm with a length of cord. Her eyes grew accustomed to the rotating kunai, and she picked the right moment to duck into their range. She thrust the kunai up, two-handed, right into the path of the spinning wires. The jolt ran right up her arms, and if it hadn't been for the cord the kunai would have been torn from her grasp.

The shinobi looked at her curiously. "Are you that eager to die?" He pulled hard on the wires. His strength was far greater than Akemi's, and despite her resolve she was sent flying forward. But Naruto had planned ahead, as she'd known he would. Puffs of smoke appeared all around her, and her momentum died as she was caught by the secure hands of twenty clones.

"We've got you," they cried with one voice. The real Naruto smirked at their opponent. "And I NEVER lose at tug-of-war." The clones pulled, and the wires jerked out of the shinobi's hands. He stumbled forward, off-balance. At the same time Takeshi sprang, his nails lengthening and his teeth bared in a frightening snarl.

Takeshi managed to land a shallow set of grooves down their opponent's leg, but then he regained his balance. A powerful roundhouse kick sent Takeshi flying backwards. Without leaving his post in front of Tazuna, Hinamaru let out a soft whimper.

The shinobi took a moment to adjust his mask. "Almost impressive. Maybe I'll have to use some chakra after all." He formed some hand seals, and his hands lit with a yellow glow. Sparks flew off erratically, making crackling sounds. "Time to die."

Akemi motioned to Naruto. "Give me some of your clones. I have a plan."

Naruto nodded, trusting her. "You've got it. **Shadow Clone jutsu!**"

One hundred Narutos appeared next to Akemi. She henged into an exact likeness of her blond teammate, and took her place in the throng. They advanced on the lightning-wielding shinobi, keeping out of his range until they had him surrounded.

"So that's what she needed clones for," Naruto muttered. She was going to hide in the crowd of clones, waiting for him to waste his chakra or overextend, and use her speed to execute a surprise attack. It was a brilliant strategy, and would hopefully keep her from getting shocked by their opponent's electricity. "Go get him, Akemi!"

oOoOo

Takeshi picked himself up, brushing off the dirt from the road. That kick had been powerful! Almost like getting whacked by Hansuke-sensei, but a little less vicious. From the sound of his voice, their opponent was not much older than he was, but his skills were remarkable.

There was a time when Takeshi would have been terrified. How could he beat someone who was fending off both of his teammates, who were both so much stronger than he was? But that thought didn't even enter his mind. He was stronger than he had been, both in body and mind. And this shinobi was threatening his friends, his pack. Takeshi wouldn't stop until the boy was dead.

Takeshi watched as Akemi advanced with the clones, and realized her plan at the same time as Naruto. But unlike his teammate, he was more worried than proud. Akemi was always too aggressive. Takeshi had never told either of his teammates, but he considered it his job to make sure Akemi didn't overextend herself. She never backed down from a fight, and Takeshi knew one day she'd get in over her head.

That day might be today. The masked figure danced effortlessly around the clones, his hands tracing lines of yellow light through the air as he struck. With each clone dispersed Takeshi winced, fearing that instead of a puff of white smoke he would see Akemi's body, battered and bloody.

He didn't hear the quiet snarl he was emitting, and he didn't feel the building pressure behind his eyes. He only saw the scene in front of him, as clones disappeared almost too quickly to keep track of. Then his fears came true. One of the clones struck, avoiding the two glowing fists, and moving with a speed far beyond the rest of the clones.

Akemi was within his guard, but her kunai never connected. One knee thrust upward, so quickly Takeshi couldn't follow it, and Akemi's kunai was sent flying into the air. An electrified fist went straight at Akemi's chest, ripping a defiant scream from Takeshi's throat.

With the speed of her sharingan, Akemi managed to cross both arms in front of her chest, her wrist guards facing outward. But the force of the blow sent her soaring yards through the air, an unholy yellow light flickering around her arms.

Inside of Takeshi something snapped. He saw red, and the world slowed down. He was by Akemi's side in an instant, catching her before she could fall to the ground. Was she conscious? Takeshi held her gingerly, willing her to be ok.

She opened swollen lids, and saw him looking down at her, concern in his eyes. In his red eyes.

"About time," she muttered.

_What?_ Then Takeshi realized how fast he'd moved, and how he could see Akemi's chakra swirling underneath her skin. He'd done it. His sharingan had activated.

Takeshi would have laughed, if he wasn't so worried about Akemi. Who would have guessed he would activate like this? Not when his life was threatened, but when he was worried for his teammate. This wasn't how the sharingan was supposed to work. Akemi had only activated hers when about to be killed by Mizuki. Why was he different?

He pushed aside his questions, knowing now was not the time. Akemi made him put her down, standing shakily, but with determination. She looked at his eyes again, and grinned. "Welcome to the party."

The two Uchiha clasped hands quickly, and turned back to their masked opponent. Squad 13 wasn't done yet.

oOoOo

The fiery missiles closed the distance within the blink of an eye. Itachi barely managed to get his spinning water shield up in time, but to his surprise the arrows passed through effortlessly, the arrowheads carving through the water as if it were paper. Itachi dodged, feeling the intense heat as one of the arrows passed close to his cloak.

"You can forget about water's superiority over fire." Hansuke put four arrows to his bow, smirking slightly. "All the chakra is focused into cutting through whatever obstacles my arrows encounters. You could be hiding at the bottom of that river, and they would still strike true. My sharingan tells me where you're going to be, which makes my arrows impossible to avoid!"

He sent four arrows at Itachi, with another volley following before they'd even reached their target. Itachi ducked and dodged, unable to avoid a few burns from the arrows' residual heat. If he was struck by one of those arrows, he'd be in trouble. He couldn't deflect them with kunai, they were blasted aside by the chakra focused in the arrowheads. His water defenses would only work if he could concentrate an equal amount of force in as small an area, and his water shield wouldn't compress that far.

Itachi knew he could win if he activated his sharingan. Then he could easily avoid the arrows, and close the distance with Hansuke so he could end the fight. But his identity was still a secret, and Hansuke might pull out of the fight if he knew who he was facing. Itachi might not be able to keep him from escaping, not if the Uzumaki genin used his Shadow Clones.

Besides, he was Itachi, former ANBU and brightest star in the Uchiha clan. He didn't need his sharingan to beat Hansuke. Well, maybe just a little.

Itachi tilted his head down, using the shadow of his mask to hide the red glow of his sharingan. He watched closely as Hansuke released his next volley, immediately memorizing and copying the jutsu with the ease of long practice. With his own fire affinity, he could have used the jutsu himself, if he'd had a bow and arrows handy. But copying jutsus was a trick for Cadets. No one survived a fight by repeating an opponent's techniques back at him. You had to make some changes.

It was clear what the secret to Hansuke's jutsu was. He compressed fire chakra into a blade, as small as a kunai but with all the force of a large fire jutsu. With so much force, and the speed generated by the monstrous longbow, his arrows would be almost impossible to stop. But maybe they could be deflected.

Itachi dodged and weaved, keeping close to the ground so he would not be caught helpless in the air. He stayed one step ahead of Hansuke's arrows, all the while concentrating on the kunai he held behind his back. He shaped water chakra the same way his sharingan told him the fire chakra had been made. He compressed as much as he could into the kunai, creating an infused blade that he would become his shield.

Instead of the sharp tip that Hansuke had given his arrows, Itachi shaped the end of his compressed water chakra into a small, round cap. Now his kunai was blunted at the end, capped by a shimmering half-circle of blue chakra.

He met the next volley head-on, the kunai outstretched. As the fire arrows met the end of his kunai, the two types of compressed chakra collided. The flowing, convex shape of Itachi's ball of chakra redirected the arrows, sending them off in a different direction with all of their original velocity.

Itachi closed the distance to Hansuke, effortlessly redirecting the arrows with his doctored kunai. Hansuke got one last volley off before Itachi was too close for arrow range. He cast aside his bow, shock and fear warring on his face.

"Who are you?" he breathed, reaching into his waist pouch for a kunai. His hand never got there, as Itachi plunged the glowing kunai into his chest. The tip might have been blunted with the water chakra shield, but it still pierced Hansuke's heart effortlessly.

Itachi leaned in, supporting the dying shinobi with one arm. He activated his sharingan once more, seeing Hansuke's eyes widen with recognition.

"I am Uchiha Itachi. You betrayed our village. It's time to die."

oOoOo

Sasuke was beginning to sweat a bit. Akemi had almost gotten him, taking advantage of his attacks against the clones to launch her strike. Because he didn't have his sharingan activated, he hadn't been able to tell which clone was her. Then, when she actually attacked, he had barely managed to get his knee up in time. She was already adjusting to his speed, moving faster by the second.

And now Takeshi had activated his sharingan. This was just not his day. Sasuke finished dispelling the clones, letting the lightning fade from his fists. The technique was draining to sustain, and he'd need to recharge his energy before finishing all three with a larger lightning jutsu.

That was when he realized he might be in trouble. The two Uchiha advanced on him, working in perfect unison. He could take either of them, even without the sharingan, but together they kept his hands too busy to perform any seals. First one advanced, then the other, keeping Sasuke continuously on the defensive.

He soon realized he couldn't stay where he was, trapped between two genin who could move at close to his own speed and anticipate his movements. He kicked off from the ground, intending to use a substitution jutsu to buy himself some breathing room. Too late, he realized he'd forgotten about Naruto.

oOoOo

The blond genin had been waiting for just such an opportunity, and his flying donkey kick came at Sasuke from behind. The masked shinobi barely managed to twist in midair, just enough so that Naruto's kick didn't take his head off. But he couldn't completely avoid it, and Naruto's foot hit the side of his mask, knocking it clean off of his face.

Naruto came to the ground, watching the mask fall almost in slow motion. He saw that the enemy they'd been fighting so unevenly was just a kid, like them. He had dark eyes and brightly colored hair, though Naruto was sure the hair color wasn't natural.

"Hey, you're just a kid!" Naruto yelled, feeling cheated. No one answered.

Akemi and Takeshi were looking at the boy in shock, the recognition on their faces unmistakable.

Akemi dropped her kunai, which landed point-first in the dirt with a dull thud. "Sa—Sasuke?"

Naruto, who had been wondering why his teammates looked so strange, finally figured it out. "Sasuke? Isn't that the brother of the guy who-"

Akemi whirled around, searching for the other fight. She saw the second masked figure standing over Hansuke-sensei's body.

"ITACHI!" she yelled, causing the second assassin to raise his head in surprise.

Naruto saw what was coming, and tried to prevent it. "Akemi, stay here! We need you to fight Sasuke!"

He didn't think she even heard. Akemi rushed towards Itachi, her eyes blazing with an unthinking hatred. Naruto signaled Takeshi and tried to rush over to help Akemi, but Sasuke appeared in front of them.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, not even looking at Akemi. "She's already dead. That means it's just you two, now. And since you've seen my face, I don't have to hold back anymore." Sasuke grinned, and suddenly his eyes were red as well. Two black tomoe swirled in each iris.

_Does everybody in this god-damn fight have the sharingan but me? _Naruto thought with no small amount of annoyance. _This is getting ridiculous!_

At that moment Akemi reached Itachi. "You bastard! You murdered my brother, and now you die!"

Naruto didn't even see what happened. All he knew was that one moment Akemi was charging at Itachi, and the next she was flying backward, blood spurting from a wound he couldn't even see. Time stopped. Naruto saw Akemi's body, lying still as a rag doll with blood leaking into the dirt around her. Next to Itachi he saw Hansuke-sensei, his eyes glassy and staring off into eternity.

There was a roaring in his ears, and a fire in his veins. Naruto bared his teeth, feeling them grow longer. His nails sharpened into claws, and his vision centered in on Itachi, the man who'd killed his sensei and his friend.

Naruto let out a roar of rage, feeling his chakra surge in answer. He was suddenly flowing with power, more than he had ever imagined being able to wield. He didn't care where it came from, or why. All he knew was that he was going to kill Itachi. The blank, white mask Itachi wore enraged him. How dare he hide behind a mask? Naruto would rip it off him, and make him look into his eyes. Then he would obliterate him.

A puny child stood in his path, directly between him and Itachi. Naruto brushed him aside like a gnat. Sasuke flew twenty yards into a tree, and fell to the ground in a heap.

Naruto moved on to Itachi without giving Sasuke a second glance. The masked man moved quickly, managing to avoid Naruto's first swipe. But the enraged genin would not be denied. He came at Itachi with a relentless barrage of kicks and punches, even lashing at him with the tail of chakra curling over his head. In the end it was just a matter of time. Itachi wasn't quite quick enough, and Naruto caught him with a razor-sharp claw.

Four long gashes ran down Itachi's leg, hissing and bubbling as the malevolent chakra refused to dissipate. The leg wouldn't support him, and he fell to one knee. Naruto crouched on all fours, approaching the downed shinobi slowly. He was going to enjoy this. Already he could sense the man's fear. He inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet taste of terror.

"_Naruto!"_ A small voice reached his ears, repeating itself with the annoying consistency of a buzzing mosquito. "_NARUTO!"_

He turned, wondering who would dare interrupt when he was about to kill his prey. The shouting was coming from a boy with red markings on his face, standing over the fallen body of a girl.

"She's still alive! Naruto, I need your help. _Akemi _needs your help!"

_Akemi._ Why did that name sound familiar? It was right there, at the edge of his mind… -Akemi!

Naruto felt his memory flooding back, and with its return the strange chakra relinquished its hold on him. His teeth and nails became their normal size, and his vision cleared. How had he lost control so badly?

Then the sense of Takeshi's words finally sank in. "She's alive?"

Takeshi gestured to him desperately. "I don't know for how long! We need to get her somewhere to stabilize her before she loses too much blood. We can't keep fighting, Naruto, there's more of them coming! Hinamaru can smell them, and I think I can too. We've got to go!"

Naruto took one last look at the man responsible for Shisui's death, and Akemi's tragic life. He could end it here. He tore his eyes away. Saving Akemi was more important, even if she might not thank him for it later.

"Pick her up carefully and let's get out of here!" Naruto made three hundred clones, which almost brought him to his knees. Five of them ran over to Tazuna and picked the old man up. He hadn't moved for the entire fight, just watching in awe as things got more and more insane. "Show us the way, Tazuna!"

The old man swallowed once, then pointed off into the forest. Takeshi and Naruto ran as fast as they could, the remainder of the clones following slowly, making sure neither of the downed shinobi followed them.

oOoOo

Sasuke got to his feet, bracing himself against the tree when he felt his vision blur for a moment. He felt like he'd been run over by a truck.

That chakra had been like nothing he'd ever seen. Even with all of Sasuke's years training under Itachi, even with his sharingan, he'd been nothing compared with that malevolent power. _Naruto… what are you?_

Seeing Itachi kneeling in the dirt brought him back to reality, and Sasuke ran over to help his brother. Itachi needed his help getting up, but once standing shook off his hand.

"Should we pursue?" Sasuke asked doubtfully. Even if they could catch up, would they have any hope against Naruto's strange power?

Itachi shook his head. "Let them go. Besides, didn't you hear what the male Uchiha said? We have company. I hope you didn't use up too much chakra against those three."

Harsh laughter echoed through the clearing. Sasuke looked up, his heart sinking. Standing on a tree branch were two shinobi wearing the hitai-ite of Kirigakure. One was shirtless and carried a giant zanbatou slung over his back, while the other had long, black hair and was as pretty as a girl.

_Great. Itachi's injured and I'm running on half power. Where the hell did these guys come from?_

As if reading Sasuke's thoughts, the shirtless shinobi answered. "We've been following you two for a while. I decided to wait and see if you could take care of that jonin for us, which you did beautifully, by the way. I'm only disappointed I didn't get to fight you in your prime. That little demon child really did a number on you, didn't he? Still, it's no loss for me. I'll get paid for your corpse twice: once from Gato, and a second time from Konoha. I'm sure the Hokage will pay well for the bodies of the infamous Uchiha runaways."

Sasuke was furious. "Gato sent you? That dirty, slimy snake! _He _hired _us_!"

The shinobi just shrugged. "That's the way the cookie crumbles. Say good-bye, little brat. You two don't stand a chance against Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist."

Itachi gave his a brother a slight smile. "You have my permission to use the sharingan for this fight, Sasuke. I have a feeling we might need it."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I'm back in college and struggling to find time to write between studying, practice, and work. If you want quicker updates, your best option is reviewing. Reviews convince me that writing the next chapter would be much more fulfilling than, say, studying for a midterm tomorrow. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's stuck with the story so far! After this chapter there should be two more to round out the Land of Waves arc.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 9**

Itachi was not used to losing control of a situation. He was one of the strongest living shinobi, silent, deadly, and feared by friend and foe alike. Until Madara had appeared, Itachi had never met a foe he couldn't face. But the sheer power unleashed by Naruto only minutes before had humbled Itachi completely. Rough and clumsy the container might have been, but his speed had been too much, even for Itachi. So this was the power of the Kyuubi, and its wielder was a staunch warrior of Konoha. Madara had not been idle.

An even more unpleasant surprise had arrived in the form of Uchiha Akemi, Shisui's sister. Itachi had always regretted leaving Shisui behind, but his friend had been caught in Madara's genjutsu. Itachi couldn't break it, and had had to leave his friend at the hospital before spreading the news of Madara's planned sedition. Itachi had been forced to flee before he found out whether Shisui lived or not.

To so suddenly see his friend's sister bent on revenge had been a profound shock. Not only was his friend dead, but Shisui's sister believed Itachi guilty of the one crime he hadn't actually committed. He had meant to kill her, as he would soon have to kill every Uchiha, but at the last minute found he couldn't. He pulled his strike at the last minute, leaving Akemi with a wound that would prove to be non-lethal.

Now here he was, with two wounds that refused to heal: the emotional pain he felt every time he saw his best friend in the young genin's face, and the searing agony of the gash across his leg. And to top it off, he was now staring down one of the most dangerous missing-nin alive. Itachi was confident he could've taken Zabuza normally, but with the chakra burn from the Kyuubi his mobility would be greatly restricted.

_I might be able to pull this one off with Sasuke's help. Let's hope Zabuza's apprentice isn't too talented._

The two younger shinobi, by unspoken agreement, had begun moving away from Itachi and Zabuza. There was an almost electric feel in the air between the two, an intensity that would have surprised anyone who only saw their age.

There was a part of Itachi that was actually looking forward to this fight. He had all of the anticipation of a proud teacher, waiting to see how his pupil would perform when the stakes were real. _But this will be a test for me as well,_ Itachi realized. _It's been a long time since I've had to fight injured. Have I become too complacent?_

He shifted a little, to see whether his injured leg would support his weight. It held, though it hurt like hell.

Zabuza leapt down from his branch, landing lightly and with perfect balance. He had the fluid grace of a predator. He was a shark in the water, and Itachi was leaving a blood trail.

"I am a little disappointed it had to go this way," Zabuza said. "It goes against the grain to kill off a cripple like this. But then, I'm sure a professional like you understands that the mission always comes first. It's nothing personal."

Itachi remained impassive. "Just business, is that it? I wonder how one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist could have fallen so low. You're scum, Momochi Zabuza. A common mercenary that sells his soul for profit."

Zabuza snarled. "Haven't you heard? A demon has no soul."

Itachi smiled slightly, tilting his head to one side. "There is darkness in every heart. That does not deprive us of our humanity. We only lose our souls when we give up our principles, when we make ourselves smaller. Is survival truly all you aspire to? Are a few coins the extent of your ambition?"

"Only a sentimental fool scorns money in favor of 'principle.' No ambition can be achieved without it. Having money is a necessary step on the road to power." Zabuza drew the zanbatou from its holster, and pointed it at Itachi one-handed. Itachi was distantly impressed at the strength necessary to keep the heavy weapon perfectly still. "And I will have power!"

_Just as I thought. He isn't a common thug. He has a goal in mind—and I think I can guess what it is._ A plan was beginning to form in Itachi's mind. The details were a little murky, and it was a long shot, but it had potential. The trouble was it was a long-term plan, and before he could even think about putting it into action he would have to survive this fight. Something which Zabuza seemed determined to make sure wouldn't happen.

Zabuza formed a set of seals rapidly, and although Itachi could have copied the jutsu immediately it wouldn't have done any good. Instead of attacking, Zabuza was using the water in the river to generate a thick, white fog. Copying the technique would have been worse than useless, simply adding to the miasma settling around him.

Zabuza's voice echoed eerily within the mist, seeming to reach Itachi's ears from every direction at once. "You might as well already be dead. No one escapes me when I am within the mist. And all of your abilities are useless, since you can't see to use those devil-eyes. I am your worst nightmare, Uchiha!"

oOoOo

Sasuke crouched, ready to spring into action, his mind turning over the possibilities. He needed to get to Itachi, whose injury would surely slow him down more and more the longer the fight lasted. He needed to end this fight quickly, but it was exactly that desire to rush in headlong that made him remain cautious. There was something about this pretty-boy shinobi that made Sasuke doubt his ability to end this with a straightforward attack. The best thing to do would be to figure out his opponent's fighting style, then end his life swiftly using one of the assassination techniques he'd learned from Itachi.

Sasuke's opponent didn't look as though he was calculating or planning; in fact, he looked perfectly calm and composed. The only emotion that Sasuke could detect was a small tinge of sadness in those brown eyes.

"My name is Haku," the shinobi said, breaking the tense silence. "And I am truly sorry for what I must do. If there is an afterlife, I hope you one day come to forgive me."

"What the hell kind of talk is _that_?" Sasuke stared at Haku incredulously. "Did you just _apologize_ for taking a contract to kill us? What kind of shinobi are you?"

Haku smiled slightly, but it was a cold smile, devoid of any happy feeling. "I am simply a tool for Zabuza-sama to use as he sees fit. It is my only purpose."

Sasuke was beginning to feel sick. How could someone so calmly renounce their own autonomy? Willingly surrender everything within them to the whims of another?

"Let me get this straight. You don't want to kill me, but because Zabuza says so, you will."

"Yes," Haku answered simply. "I'm sorry."

"You're beginning to piss me off with the apologies," Sasuke said, doing his best to inject a sneer that he wasn't really feeling. "If you're going to kill someone, don't crawl to them asking for forgiveness."

Sasuke pulled out two kunai from his belt pouch, angling them downward. "You won't hear any 'sorrys' from me. _You_ attacked _us_, and that makes you fair game. Make your peace, because you're about to die."

Sasuke charged, one kunai outstretched, the other angled in. He met a flurry of senbon head-on, slowing down only a little while deflecting the sharp needles aside. A second later and he'd closed the distance with Haku, aiming a quick slash at his enemy's hands. If he could keep his enemy from using hand seals he'd have a distinct advantage, not to mention the fact that if Haku was busy parrying he wouldn't be able to throw more senbon.

To his shock, Sasuke realized that Haku was every bit as fast as he was, even with the sharingan. Using two senbon like kunai, Haku managed to deflect the few attacks that he couldn't dodge outright. Haku fought with a fluid grace, ducking under powerful kicks and weaving around Sasuke's kunai like they weren't even there.

"I'm very impressed," Haku said, still effortlessly keeping up with Sasuke's furious onslaught. "You are the first person my own age I've met that can keep up with me."

"Funny, that's what I was about to say."

Sasuke continued targeting Haku's hands and arms, trying to force the other boy into a direct contest of strength. He was sure if he could trap one of those senbon, he'd be able to overwhelm Haku. But Haku deflected every one of his attacks at an angle, keeping him from bringing his strength to bear.

After a few more seconds of continuous attacking and defending, striking and parrying, Sasuke felt his eyes beginning to adjust. Haku's chakra appeared more clearly, and Sasuke felt more confident about the nature of his opponent's movements. He decided it was time to switch tactics, and try to end this fight decisively.

Sasuke aimed a few sharp kicks at Haku's knees, which forced Haku to move back slightly. That gave Sasuke enough room to throw his kunai. Haku deflected them easily, but the kunai had only been a distraction. Immediately after throwing his weapons, Sasuke leapt forward and crouched low, throwing all of his momentum into a sweeping kick.

Because his hands were both busy deflecting the kunai, Haku was forced to jump backwards into the air, which was just what Sasuke was waiting for. His hands moved in a blur, forming seals that he knew as well as his own name.

"**Burning Fireball jutsu!**" Hungry flames erupted from his mouth and sped towards Haku, enveloping the youth in a hellstorm of orange fire. When they dissipated Haku was unharmed, though he was surrounded by a ring of hissing steam.

Haku nodded at Sasuke, who was staring open-mouthed at his unharmed opponent. "A powerful attack. But fire will never beat water, just as you will never beat me." Haku formed a set of seals and a whip of water rose from the nearby river. With a throwing motion, he sent the whip at Sasuke faster than the Uchiha could react. The whip passed through Sasuke's body as if it wasn't even there – the reason being, of course, that it wasn't.

Two kunai came hurtling at Haku from behind, explosive tags swinging from the handles. Haku jumped back, but couldn't completely avoid the blast. The concussive force knocked him backward, and he landed roughly on the ground. Sasuke jumped down from the tree he'd used for cover.

Haku picked himself up, shaking some of the dust off of his shirt. His face sported a few bruises and cuts, though they weren't very deep. "I see. You never expected that attack to hit at all. It was merely to distract me so that you could switch places with a clone."

Sasuke shrugged. "Almost. I didn't know if my jutsu would get you or not, but my sensei would kill me himself if I stood around waiting to find out. Now let's finish this. **Phoenix Firestorm jutsu!**"

Small fireballs arced out of Sasuke's fingertips, and he ran around Haku in a wide circle, peppering his opponent with the fiery missiles.

Haku made another set of seals, generating a thick whip of water that coiled itself around him and began to spin rapidly. "Didn't you listen before?" Haku's voice sounded slightly disappointed, as if he'd been expecting more. "Your fire techniques are useless when I have so much water to fuel my techniques. Send as many fireballs against my shield as you wish, you'll only waste chakra."

The ground in front of Haku exploded, revealing a second Sasuke diving directly for the shield. His outstretched palm was bathed in a yellow glow, and the air around it hissed and crackled. "Then how about some lighting?" he shouted.

Sasuke's fist drove into the shield, discharging the electric shock throughout the entire glowing sphere. Sasuke jumped back, fully expecting to see the technique dissipate, an unconscious Haku on the ground. What he did not expect to see was the water shield turning into a solid sphere of ice, inside of which Sasuke could dimly make out Haku's slight form.

The electricity faded, useless, and the ice sphere dissolved into thin air. Haku stared at Sasuke, looking as surprised as Sasuke felt.

"Two of you using jutsus? Then the first you was…"

Sasuke nodded smugly, not letting his surprise over the whole ice thing detract from the pride he felt from his own strategy. "It was a shadow clone. I made one at the same time that I made the regular clone, figuring that you wouldn't expect both kinds. When you used water to shield yourself from my first technique, I knew I'd need to get close and try an electric element jutsu."

"I am once again impressed," Haku said. "The Shadow Clone jutsu is one of Konoha's most closely guarded secrets, and normally requires a jonin-level shinobi to wield it properly. Not only that, but you instantly assessed my abilities and improvised a plan to take advantage of their weaknesses. If it weren't for my Ice Release, I might well be dead now."

"That's what your technique is called? Ice Release?"

Haku inclined his head, a respectful gesture to a respected enemy. "That is correct. My kekkei genkai allows me to produce and manipulate ice."

Sasuke was impressed. That was a formidable ability, and it neutralized the advantage he'd expected his lightning affinity to give him.

In the air around Haku, hundreds of droplets of water transformed into sharp needles made of ice. "Now you will see my ability first-hand. **Ice Senbon Shower!**"

The icy projectiles flew at Sasuke, who took out two more kunai and deflected as many of the things as he could. He managed to protect his vital areas, but the volley left him with nicks and cuts all over his arms and legs.

Sasuke glared at Haku, the cuts doing nothing except increasing his determination to win. "Is that all your little technique can do? You're going to need a lot more than that!"

"That is not all," Haku said, and to Sasuke he sounded almost sad. "**Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors.**"

All around Sasuke, gleaming slabs of ice began to form in the air. He was caught flat-footed, watching as the strange mirrored surfaces created a type of beehive, with himself trapped in the center. Haku jumped towards one of the mirrors, fusing with the ice until he appeared to be only a reflection. Sasuke began to truly feel worried once that reflection branched out, and thirty Hakus watched him impassively from the ice mirrors.

Haku's voice echoed around him, coming from every direction at once. "I'm ashamed to say that I've enjoyed this fight, which is why it must end now. A tool does not have emotions. It does not let anything deter it from the swift execution of its duty. Uchiha Sasuke, this is the power of my Ice Release. Prepare yourself for the true meaning of speed."

oOoOo

Everything around Itachi was white. The mist weighed down on him with an almost tangible malevolence, dampening all sounds and cutting Itachi off from the rest of the world. He strained all of his senses, waiting for the inevitable sneak attack.

Zabuza had been a Swordsman of the Hidden Mist, and an unsurpassed master of the Silent Killing Technique. It was said he'd killed men so swiftly they never even realized they'd been hit, right up until the moment their hearts stopped. Itachi had a few tricks up his sleeve, but it all depended on being able to fend off Zabuza's assassination techniques.

A swishing sound came from his left. Itachi didn't move. When the real attack came, it would be silent as the grave.

One second there was nothing. Then Itachi sensed padded footfalls directly behind him. He waited for a split second, judging when the kunai would be inches away from his neck. Then he whirled, grabbing Zabuza's wrist with his left arm and completing his rotation, stabbing with his own kunai at the missing-nin's shoulder.

Instead of the _thunk_ of blade sinking into flesh, there was an ear-splitting screech as his kunai skated off something metallic. Zabuza had managed to heft his giant zanbatou, Kubikiribocho, just in time.

Itachi jumped backwards, pushing off with his good leg and gaining a little space. Though he still didn't see Zabuza, he could tell his opponent hadn't followed.

"How did you anticipate my attack?" The ex-Kiri shinobi's voice was almost petulant.

"Just because I'm an Uchiha doesn't mean I can't fight without my sharingan. It's true, many of my clan rely on their eyes far too much. I, however, have been careful not to make that mistake."

Itachi formed a set of hand seals that he hadn't used since basic training for ANBU. This was an echolocation technique that sent out a pulse of chakra, specially modified to bounce off of objects and return an image of one's surroundings. The problem with the technique was that any shinobi worth their salt would sense the chakra pulse, making it effectively useless for scouting the terrain before a surprise attack. Only civilians and untrained shinobi wouldn't sense the chakra, so ANBU were cautioned never to use it when trying to avoid notice in hostile territory.

But for this situation it was perfect. Zabuza already knew where Itachi was, thanks to the blood trail from Itachi's wound, as well as his doubtless superior sense of hearing. Therefore using the echolocation jutsu wouldn't put Itachi at any more of a disadvantage, and would allow him to keep track of Zabuza moving through the mist.

Zabuza let out a snarl as he felt the wave of chakra rebound off of him. "So you're not worthless after all. I'll give it to you, that's a decent trick. But make no mistake, you're nothing compared to one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure."

"_Former_ Swordsman," Itachi pointed out, hoping to get Zabuza angry enough to slip up, or at least stop evaluating the situation with a level head. "They ran you out of the country, after all. And you've been hiding out ever since, eking out a pitiful existence by preying on the weak."

"Shut up!" Zabuza roared. "You know nothing about me! I will return to Kirigakure, and the Mizukage will rue the day she ever met Momochi Zabuza. My sword will drink her blood, and I will take my place in history. You I'll squash like a bug, with or without your sonar trick."

With the help of the sonar jutsu, Itachi was able to track Zabuza as the shinobi angled and darted around. It was difficult, because the surrounding trees made for many blind spots in the jutsu, and Zabuza was deliberately ducking behind them to interfere with Itachi's technique.

Itachi was caught by surprise when the shadowy imprint that was his only image of Zabuza came to a dead stop. He almost didn't sense the slight whirring sound, and threw himself to the ground just as Zabuza's giant sword went flying through the air. A second later and he would have been cut in half.

Itachi was slightly surprised that such an elite shinobi would ever willingly part with his weapon. But then, the Seven Swords of Kirigakure's Swordsmen were said to have strange powers. Maybe those powers included some kind of safeguard against being wielded by other shinobi.

Either way, Itachi didn't have much time to ponder the wisdom of Zabuza's decision. The other shinobi had charged him, counting on the fact that dodging the zanbatou would make Itachi unable to use his sonar jutsu. Zabuza landed a swift kick to Itachi's solar plexus that sent him flying backwards.

Itachi got to his feet, gingerly rubbing his stomach. _One to you, Zabuza,_ he reflected. That kick had some force behind it.

Some sixth sense made Itachi dive to the ground again. For the second time in less than a minute he narrowly avoided being hacked in half by Zabuza's butcher sword, which was wielded by a second Zabuza who seemed to have come out of nowhere. This time around he wasn't able to dodge completely, and received a long slash down his right arm.

"Shit," Zabuza exclaimed, "I really thought I had you that time."

Itachi exhaled with relief. That had been extremely close—Zabuza really did deserve to be called the "Demon of the Mist."

"That was clever. You created a water clone when you were behind one of those trees, didn't you? Then you sent it in a wide arc to where you knew your sword would land after you threw it. I didn't bother checking behind me with the sonar jutsu, giving you the opportunity to attack from behind."

"You catch on quick, Uchiha. I must say I'm impressed. I've never faced anyone on an even footing when I was in the Mist. I'll have to keep some trophy to remind me of this fight. Your eyes, maybe."

Itachi didn't rise to the bait. "If you kill me, then you deserve them. But I'll tell you this for free: these eyes have never brought anyone anything but grief. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy."

"What are you, some kind of philosopher? Power is power, and those who wield it are the only ones who matter."

"I wonder if you really believe that," Itachi said, deliberately injecting his voice with a knowing tone that he was confident would drive Zabuza crazy. "After all, you've spent so much time training up that young follower of yours. He isn't as strong as you, yet you look out for him instead of leaving him to his fate."

"That's what you think," Zabuza responded. "Haku is only a tool, but he is a powerful one. He may actually _be_ stronger than me, when he uses his technique."

Itachi made a disbelieving snort, but his heart sank a little and he wondered how Sasuke's fight was going. If it wasn't for this damned mist… He could dispel it, but he wanted to keep his mastery of Water Release techniques secret for now. It could mean the difference later on in the fight. He would just have to hope that Sasuke was equal to the challenge. His little brother had never failed yet.

oOoOo

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit._ The words repeated in Sasuke's mind, beating a tattoo inside his brain. Whatever this ice-mirror jutsu actually did, it wasn't going to be good news.

He settled into his stance, keeping a white-knuckle grip on two kunai. "Come on, then! Let's see what you've got!"

Sasuke almost regretted his challenge as a hail of senbon came at him, dozens of the sharp needles coming from every mirror at once, hundreds instantly filling the air around him. He was fast enough to keep them from hitting any vital spots, but when the last projectile fell to the ground, Sasuke's arms and legs each had several senbon lodged securely within.

So the point of the mirrors was near-instant teleportation? The mirrors both trapped Sasuke and acted as an anchor for Haku's extreme speed. But Sasuke could tell that the multiple images of Haku in the mirrors were just that, images. There was still only one Haku, he was simply slipping from mirror to mirror so fast that he became merely a blue blur. But still, it was a blur that Sasuke could see with his sharingan.

There was hope, then. But before he could find some way to escape the technique, Sasuke had to find some way to deal with the senbon showers. A few more volleys and he'd be a walking pincushion, unable to avoid a more lethal attack.

Luckily, Sasuke had spent years protecting ships and caravans from pirates, bandits, and rogue shinobi. He had been on the receiving end of overwhelming volleys of arrows during ship-to-ship battles, and together with Itachi had developed a method to defend against such long-distance threats.

Sasuke brought out a scroll from a pocket within his cloak, and unfurled it with a snap. His arm was already bleeding from the senbon stuck there, so he had no need to bite his thumb to obtain the necessary blood. He smeared a few drops on the seal in the center of the scroll, which disappeared with a pop. In its place appeared a massive shield, made of oak, with seals carved on the front that made it both lightweight and stronger than steel. It was attached to his arm with a steel band, one that could be detached quickly and easily with his left hand.

"A good thought," Haku observed, "but not likely to help you. That shield can only protect you in one direction. My senbon come from every direction."

Sasuke grinned, and reached into another inner pocket of his senbon-riddled cloak. "Give it your best shot." He grabbed a full handful of shuriken with explosive tags, sending them in a scattered pattern at the ground. He would have used them to attack the mirrors, except it was fairly obvious they wouldn't even have scratched the surface of Haku's jutsu.

At the same time, Haku sent another volley of senbon flying at Sasuke.

Multiple explosions from the tagged shuriken created a series of craters in the ground, haphazardly spread throughout the circle enclosed by Haku's ice mirrors. Sasuke moved in a blur, throwing himself into the nearest hole, crouching down, and raising the shield above his head. There came a series of thunks, like hailstones smashing against a roof, and then silence. Sasuke jumped out of his makeshift trench, confident he could retreat back into it for the next volley. His shield was riddled with senbon, looking like a wooden pincushion.

Now that Sasuke had created a defense against the senbon, he decided to ask a question that had been tormenting him.

"Why are you doing this?" he yelled. "You don't want to kill me, you probably don't want to kill anyone. Otherwise you would have poisoned those senbon, like any self-respecting assassin. So what the hell are you doing this for?"

Thirty Hakus looked down at him serenely from their mirrors. "Everything I do is for Zabuza. I am a tool to accomplish his goals."

"And you're fine with that? What's wrong with you?"

"I have someone to protect," Haku said simply. "That is what makes me strong."

Sasuke was too stunned to reply. Haku might call himself a tool to be used, but what he really was, in his own mind, was a bodyguard. He wanted to protect Zabuza, and to do so he renounced his entire life.

Haku kept speaking, telling Sasuke about his childhood. How his father killed his mother, and then tried to kill him. How for years he'd lived on scraps and shivered in the cold, until one day a shinobi with similar eyes took notice of him.

Sasuke felt sick. It was fitting, he realized, that he was hearing this while watching Haku in the ice mirrors. After all, they were like twisted mirror images of each other. So much of their stories were the same, so much of their motivation stemmed from the same source. Sasuke would give his life to protect Itachi, his only precious person. He would, and had, devoted his life to accomplishing Itachi's goal, which was to liberate Konoha from Madara's grasp. He and Haku were straight from the same mold, even down to losing a mother at the hands of a father.

But there was one crucial difference. Itachi loved Sasuke, too. He returned Sasuke's devotion by taking care not to make Sasuke do anything his own conscience could not condone. Zabuza had taken a lost boy and given him a purpose, but no conviction. He taught him how to deal death, but not how to live.

Sasuke went through the curious experience of feeling the flames of his anger die out, only to ignite with even more force, and directed towards a new target. That target was Momochi Zabuza, a shinobi unworthy of the devotion of his follower.

_Damn you, Haku, _Sasuke thought with irritation. _Now you've got me feeling sorry for what I have to do._

"I don't want to have to fight you, Haku." Sasuke lowered his shield, making eye contact with the Haku in the mirror directly across from him. He couldn't be certain which Haku was real at any given second, but this would work as long as Haku looked into his eyes. "But since you won't back down, I guess I have no choice."

Sasuke felt the slight shift that accompanied a successful genjutsu. It had taken months of training, but Sasuke was able to cast simple genjutsu without hand seals, using only the power of his sharingan. Now Haku was focused on what he thought was the real Sasuke, but which was in reality just an illusion. The real Sasuke had dismissed his summoned shield, and waited for Haku's attack a few yards to the left.

"Neither of us has any choices left," Haku said sadly. "We made them all long ago." The mirrors began to ripple, like the surface of a pool after a stone has been dropped. Long spikes of ice began to emerge from the mirrors, poised to strike.

"I doubt your shield will be able to stand up to this attack. **Crystal Ice Spear jutsu!**"

The huge spears flew directly at the illusion of Sasuke, one after another, appearing to crack right through the oak shield. While Sasuke maintained the illusion, adding detail through the conscious direction of his mind, he was also watching the spaces between mirrors with his sharingan. With every successive ice spear, he felt more confident that he knew where Haku was going to strike next. He picked his spot, between two mirrors close to the ground, and pushed chakra through his legs to push off at top speed.

His vicious flying kick caught Haku flush in the face, in the split second Haku was between mirrors. Sasuke heard the crack as his opponent's nose broke, and watched as Haku went hurtling out of the range of the mirrors. At the same moment, the crystal ice mirrors quivered, like a tuning fork after being hit, until at last they shattered into a million pieces.

For a few seconds Sasuke knelt next to Haku's unconscious body, numbly watching the blood trickle down his face from his squashed nose. He put two fingers next to Haku's neck, and was surprised at the strength of his own relief after feeling a pulse.

Then Sasuke remembered his brother, who was at that moment locked in a life-or-death struggle in the white mist that, even now, kept the wooded region cloaked in an impenetrable whiteness.

He couldn't do anything to help. If he entered the mist he would be worse than blind; he'd be charging into a situation where he would only get in the way. Itachi would assume he was an enemy, and Zabuza would doubtless be able to sense his clumsy approach long before Sasuke got close. He couldn't even dispel the mist, since he had no facility with water techniques.

_Come on, brother. I took care of mine, now you take care of yours._

oOoOo

Itachi took stock of his situation, which wasn't particularly good. He was bleeding from two fairly serious wounds, and his taijutsu was severely limited thanks to his lessened mobility. Worse, Zabuza had at least one water clone capable of fighting with all of the missing nin's experience in Silent Killing. They might only have part of the original's speed and skill, but with enough of them that wouldn't matter. And Itachi was not fool enough to believe that Zabuza had made only one clone, even if one was all that he had encountered so far.

He was considering whether or not to reveal his hand by dispelling the mist, when Zabuza took the matter into his own hands. He charged at Itachi, who prepared himself once he heard the Swordsman's approach. Itachi's own senses were sharp, and he was able to hold his own, even once the first clone teamed up with the original Zabuza.

Then a second clone joined, and Itachi was so busy keeping their blades from striking home that he had no time to make hand seals. His only hope was to dispel the clones, gaining enough time to get out of the mist.

Itachi parried a swipe from the real Zabuza, and turned to strike at the clone. Itachi could tell the clones from the original because of the difference in speed, and managed to sink his kunai into the clone's chest. It dissolved into a splash of water, but to Itachi's dismay the water didn't fall to the ground.

Instead it glowed blue with chakra, and spread up Itachi's arm like some creeping, carnivorous vine. Before he could react Itachi was caught in a globe of water, completely separated from the ground and unable to move or breathe. The chakra controlling the water kept it at a gelatinous consistency, keeping him from forming any hand seals. He was well and truly trapped.

The glow from his watery prison illuminated the area around him for a few feet, enough for Itachi to see the smirk on the real Zabuza's face as he held out one arm to maintain the sphere.

"Konoha thinks Shadow Clones are _so_ special," Zabuza said mockingly. "But really, Elemental Clones are much more versatile. I could never have bound my **Water Prison Technique**__into a Shadow Clone. But because my clone was made of water, all I had to do was perform the jutsu and include a simple seal that would trigger when my clone was dispelled. It's the same principle as the Lightning Clones that give off an electric shock when you destroy them, but I think mine is more effective. Now let's see how long you can hold your breath. My money's on ten minutes, after all you're a high-level jonin."

On the inside, Itachi was cursing like a sailor. Caught like a fish in a net, by a technique he should have seen coming from a mile away. Now he was unable to move, unable even to use ninjutsu or genjutsu to free himself.

He wasn't nearly done yet, but it galled Itachi that he had to resort to a technique that he had always considered so crude and inelegant.

"**First Gate: Open!**"

Water poured into Itachi's mouth as he screamed, but by that time he'd already triggered the switch in his brain that would activate the First Gate, the Gate of Opening.

Strength flooded his body, while his skin darkened and his red eyes glowed with an even brighter light. The force of the water shield pushing in on him was no longer insurmountable, and with a supreme effort Itachi threw himself away from Zabuza. The missing-nin let out a surprised cry as his jutsu fell apart.

Itachi closed the First Gate immediately after he was free, cursing the need to go that far. Now he was even more injured, his muscles torn after the strain he'd put them through.

"I'm tired of playing your game, Zabuza. I want you to see my face when I defeat you."

Itachi ran through the hand seals for the Hidden Mist technique, which he'd watched Zabuza perform. Then he did them again backwards, trusting that his chakra reserves would be larger than Zabuza's at this point. It was a safe bet, since Zabuza had to have used a large chunk of his energy to create such high-level water clones, as well as sealing the Water Prison technique into one of them. Sure enough, he was able to gain control of the mist, and converted it into water. Droplets fell around the two combatants, drenching them and the ground around them.

Zabuza looked pole-axed.

"What's the problem?" Itachi asked, enjoying his opponent's consternation. "Surprised that I can open the Gates? Or did you think your Hidden Mist technique was infallible?"

Zabuza snarled, banishing the uncertainty from his face. "I don't need the Mist to kill you!"

His hands began a complicated series of seals, which Itachi copied almost instantaneously. Zabuza's eyes widened as he continued the jutsu, and Itachi mirrored his movements exactly. Water rose up in two great spouts behind the dueling shinobi, ready to be shaped into a more dangerous form. Zabuza hesitated, clearly worried that Itachi would be able to cancel his attack.

Itachi made the last two hand seals, and clapped his hands together. "**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet jutsu!**"

The water behind Itachi took the shape of a huge dragon, which bore down on Zabuza furiously. His mouth was just opening to exclaim in shock when the technique hit him, dispelling his own half-finished jutsu and washing him away.

Zabuza ended up twenty yards back, crushed between the force of the water dragon and a sturdy oak tree. Itachi pushed one last burst of speed from his ripped-up leg muscles, and arrived at Zabuza's side. The ex-Kiri nin looked at him in a mixture of fear and wonder.

"How did you… do your eyes see the future?"

Itachi surprised himself no less than Zabuza with an honest laugh, one that rang out clearly and echoed off of the trees.

"Don't be ridiculous. I just already knew that jutsu."

"Oh…" Zabuza let out a final sigh, and closed his eyes. Itachi waited for a second, then rapped the unconscious shinobi sharply on the head with the butt of his kunai. No sense taking chances, after all.

"So you got him."

Itachi turned at the sound of Sasuke's voice, wincing at the many cuts across his brother's body. Sasuke carried the unconscious form of Zabuza's apprentice, slung over his shoulder bridal-style.

"I did get him. And I see you survived as well. Let us hope there aren't more assassins waiting in the wings; I'm pretty much wiped out."

Sasuke nodded weary agreement. He walked over to Zabuza, hatred twisting his features into a snarl.

When Sasuke spoke, Itachi was surprised by the amount of restrained anger in his tone. "Itachi, please let me kill this bastard."

Itachi regarded his brother, surprised at such vehemence directed towards an enemy Sasuke hadn't even fought.

"What did he do to deserve such a fate? Besides trying to kill us, of course."

Sasuke told his brother everything he'd heard from Haku. As he related the story of the young shinobi, his eyes filled with tears of frustration.

"He's just like me," he sobbed. "Or he could have been, if he wasn't found by such a heartless man."

Itachi moved his gaze from his brother to Zabuza, silently contemplating his bandaged face.

"Let him live for now, Sasuke. There might be more to this story than we're aware."

**A/N: **And they made it! Sorry for the long delay, everyone. Don't worry, I'll keep writing this story since it's the only thing keeping me from going insane. Although I am a little worried that I won't be able to switch from Naruto mode to essay-writing mode, and I'll hand in something like this: "Then Jane Austen whirled, throwing a brace of shuriken at Shakespeare. He made a substitution just in time, but was unable to avoid Faulkner's mind-blowing Modernism jutsu." I'm kind of tempted it would be a lot more fun than the bullshit I normally have to write. Anyway, please R&R! Tell me what I can do better, and if the dialogue and the fighting was engaging enough. See you next time!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I am incredibly grateful and appreciative that, as of Chapter 9, over 100 people have added Rise of the Uchiha to their Favorite Stories. I never expected to have so much support for this story, and it's inspiring me to work harder and write more. There's a lot more in store, so I hope you all stick with me until the end!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 10**

To Naruto, Team 13's flight from Itachi and Sasuke seemed like a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. Minutes turned into hours, which stretched further into eternity. Every shadow jumped out at him, darkness hiding the possibility of an attack. With each step he expected the rush of information that would follow one of his clones dispelling, warning him that Sasuke and Itachi—or the other shinobi Takeshi had sensed—were pursuing. Mile followed mile without any of his sentries dispelling, but still Naruto didn't relax his watchfulness.

Just because his clones were all still alive, guarding their retreat, didn't mean the renegade Uchiha weren't circling around, and potentially setting up an ambush. Naruto had sent clones ahead as well, but they weren't able to move much faster than Takeshi and Naruto. Akemi needed medical attention immediately, or else she might die from the wound she received from Itachi.

Takeshi and Hinamaru set the pace, the half-blood Uchiha's face set in a permanent snarl as he pushed more speed through his aching legs. Naruto kept himself from looking at Akemi by paying even closer attention to the dark forest around him. He couldn't afford to be distracted by worry for his teammate, not if they were going to reach safety alive.

Some time later, Naruto could not have said when, the few clones he'd sent ahead as advance scouts dispelled themselves to give him their report.

"Stop," Naruto commanded tersely, bringing Takeshi and the clones carrying Tazuna to a halt. "We're about to reach the edge of the forest. Tazuna, where do we go from here?"

Tazuna swallowed a few times, clearly even more terrified than Naruto. "There should be a dock next to the sea, on the outskirts of the village, which is close to my home. Only a few more minutes."

"Right, let's go."

The group set off again, reaching the dock only seconds after leaving the last few trees. Naruto thanked Kami for the darkness, which kept him from feeling too exposed. In the daylight, his small army of clones would have been visible for miles.

Just as Tazuna had predicted, in a few minutes they came to a quaint house overlooking the sea. After positioning his remaining clones in a defensive perimeter around the house, Naruto motioned to Takeshi and Tazuna to enter the house.

The clones put Tazuna down gently, and he led them through the front door quietly, putting a finger to his lips to emphasize the need for silence.

"We don't want to wake up my dau—"

"Father, is that you?" came a feminine voice from upstairs.

"Damn it," Tazuna said with resignation. "I didn't want to worry her. Well, no sense crying over spilt milk. She'll probably be a better nurse for this poor girl than I would have, anyway."

Naruto barely paid attention to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs from another room. Instead, he was looking around frantically for a place to lay Akemi.

Takeshi pointed to the dining room. "The kitchen table," he said, pointing to an elegant, wooden table in the center of the room. It was flat and uncluttered, with enough room to lay Akemi down on her back.

Takeshi took great care to lower Akemi onto the table without jostling her, gingerly placing her head on a small pillow that Tazuna brought from the living room.

Tazuna's daughter entered the dining room, making Naruto tense before he realized she wasn't a threat.

"Father, who are these children, and—" her voice cut off with a gasp as her eyes took in the sight of Akemi lying on the table, blood staining her jacket from the long gash down her side.

"There's not time for that, Tsunami," Tazuna said, his voice taking on a tone of authority that Naruto was glad to hear. It seemed this old man knew when to be serious, and could handle his weight in a crisis. "This young girl has been gravely wounded. I'm going to go get the doctor, but in the meantime please do everything you can to make sure she doesn't get any worse. She's already helped save my life twice; treat her like your own daughter."

Takeshi looked helplessly from Tsunami to Akemi, and back again. "Please," he added, his voice quavering with exhaustion and fear. "She can't die."

Tsunami closed her mouth, which had been gaping like a fish, and walked over to examine Akemi. She peeled away the jacket, revealing a sluggish stream of blood from Akemi's wound.

Naruto looked away in an attempt to preserve Akemi's modesty, hating himself for being so useless. All of his training with the Military Police, and he couldn't even do anything to help his teammate. Or Hansuke… Naruto pushed thoughts of Hansuke away. The grief when he thought of his sensei threatened to overwhelm him, and he couldn't give into it yet. He was in charge now, and his only mission was to make sure Akemi kept breathing.

He turned towards Tazuna, who was watching Tsunami examine Akemi, his worry overcoming his exhaustion. There was a part of Naruto that wanted to blame Tazuna for bringing them here, for making this happen. But he just couldn't be mad at the man who so clearly blamed himself, and was willing to push his body to the limits to save the girl who'd tried to protect him.

"Old man," Naruto barked, relying on gruffness to keep the grief at bay. "You said something about a doctor. Where does he live?"

Tazuna shook himself, tearing his eyes away from Akemi bleeding out on the table. "He lives in town," he replied. "I'll go for him now."

"I'll come with you. You'll need protection, and I can get us to town and back more quickly."

Tazuna nodded, and the two of them headed toward the door. Before leaving, Naruto turned and directed one last order at Takeshi.

"Look after Akemi. I'll leave a few clones inside to help Tsunami with anything she needs. If you or Hinamaru sense anyone trying to approach the house, dispel one of the clones and I'll come back as fast as I can."

Takeshi nodded absently, but his eyes never left Akemi's face. He held her hand in his, gripping it tightly as Tsunami moved toward the kitchen to heat up water. His other hand kept pressure on the wound, stopping the blood flow with a soft cloth. Hinamaru left the kitchen, presumably to stand sentry duty outside the house.

Tazuna led Naruto outside the house, where they were stopped by one of his clones. Naruto had long since drilled his clones in the basics of military strategy, especially the chain of command. In a situation calling for quick thinking and improvisation, there was often no time for Naruto himself to command his clones. All of his clones automatically sorted themselves into teams of three, with a fourth clone in command. Then there was one lieutenant, who gave orders to all of the clones in Naruto's absence. This was the clone that stopped Tazuna.

"Hey, boss," the clone said, his tone subdued. "I sent most of us into the forest, out of sight. There are forty of us surrounding the house. What do you want us to do?"

Naruto thought quickly. Too many clones outside the house would be more harmful than helpful, especially once morning came. How many hours of darkness were left? He had no idea. The flight through the trees could have lasted for an hour, or ten.

"Right," he snapped decisively. "Good work on hiding everybody in the woods. Keep them there, and set up alarms and tripwires in the trees. Tell the forty around the house to hide themselves as best they can, but still be ready to defend the house. Sentries on the roof, in the water under the docks, and close by every entrance. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out."

The clone saluted. "You got it, boss. Go save Akemi, all right? Anybody tries anything, we'll give 'em hell."

"Right." Naruto continued on, letting Tazuna set the pace. The town was only a few minutes away, and the old man made haste. In five minutes they reached the house that Tazuna said belonged to the doctor.

"Go wake him up; do it quietly." Naruto remained outside, watching the shadows in the street out of the corner of his eye. As preoccupied as he was, he could tell that this town was incredibly run-down. The streetlights were few and far between, many not even giving off light because of cracked bulbs that hadn't been replaced. The streets were grimy and had trash littered along the sides. This was not a prosperous town, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Tazuna came out seconds later with the doctor, who was groggily rubbing sleep out of his eyes and complaining about the hour. He wore only a nightgown and sleeping cap, but he had a bag of medical supplies under his arm.

He nodded at Naruto. "Doctor Rahkesh," he said by way of introduction.

Naruto walked up to the doctor, forcing his attention. "Listen up, doc," he said, trying to channel Hansuke's tone of command. "My friend may be dying, and you're going to save her. Now, I'm a shinobi, and I could kill you in a hundred different ways. But if you tell anyone what happened tonight, I'll only need one. Got it?"

Naruto took out a kunai and twirled it for emphasis. The doctor gulped audibly, and nodded vigorously.

"Good. Let's go, then."

The blond genin herded the older men back to Tazuna's house, keeping watch the whole way. When they got back to the house Naruto could see no sign of his clones other than a slightly darker patch of shadow on the roof, which reassured him greatly. None of his clones had dispelled, so for the moment they were safe and could attend to Akemi without worrying about being attacked.

When they went inside, they found that Tsunami had Akemi well in hand. She had cleaned and dressed the wound, and Akemi's face had lost a little of its pale, sickly color.

Doctor Rahkesh brusquely pushed her aside, muttering something about "amateurs." Tsunami relinquished her spot with good grace, though Takeshi watched the doctor warily, emitting a soft growl all the while. The doctor edged back a little at the menacing sound, but after a firm look from Naruto began to work on Akemi.

Despite his initial comment about amateurs, Doctor Rahkesh made approving noises as he examined the dressing that Tsunami had put in place. He looked under the bandage at the wound and made _tsk_ sounds, before poking and prodding Akemi all over. He looked into her eyes, holding the lids open and shining a light into her pupils, and opened her mouth to peer down her throat. But after much activity, he turned to Naruto with a satisfied expression.

"She's going to be fine," the doctor said confidently. "And Madam," he added to Tsunami, "let me just add that you did very good work. The wound is clean, and as long as you change the bandages twice a day this girl should heal up just fine. She'll sleep for a while, and when she wakes make sure to feed her good, hearty food to make up for the blood loss."

Naruto and Takeshi let out twin sighs of relief, and Tazuna looked as though the weight of the world had been taken from his shoulders.

"If that's it, you can go home," Naruto said. "I'll send a clone to escort you back to your house. Thank you for seeing to our teammate."

Doctor Rahkesh walked toward the door, looking with some consternation at the perfect copy of the blond boy that appeared from the living room.

"And Doc," Naruto said, halting the doctor before he could exit the house. "Keep your mouth shut. Remember, a hundred ways."

Doctor Rahkesh turned white, and despite the gravity of the situation Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a little inside.

oOoOo

Sasuke waited patiently for Haku to wake up. Zabuza's apprentice had been pretty banged up, but one of the many wonders of the sharingan eye was its ability to copy medical ninjutsu. Itachi had healed the worst of Haku's injuries easily, and now Sasuke had only to wait for the other boy to wake up.

Eventually Haku began to stir, until finally he opened his eyes.

"What is this?" he asked, realizing that his arms and legs were restrained. Even his fingers were kept separate, tied with steel wire, so that he couldn't form any one-handed seals.

"Just trying to make sure you don't hurt me any more than you already did," Sasuke returned flippantly.

Haku closed his eyes, probably remembering the fight. "Please kill me," he said at last.

All right, that was _not_ what Sasuke was expecting. "Why do you want me to kill you?" he asked, honestly curious.

Haku shook his head. "I failed. I am supposed to be a weapon, but a weapon that fails its purpose must be discarded. So please, end my life."

Sasuke's eye twitched. This routine was beginning to get old.

"I am _not_ going to kill you, though I might kill Zabuza for being such a colossal prick."

Haku fixed his attention on Sasuke immediately, swift as a swooping bird of prey. "Zabuza is alive?"

"Yup," Sasuke answered with a knowing nod. "And he's likely to stay that way, unless he does something to piss my brother off."

"That is not exactly reassuring," Haku said mildly. "Zabuza-sama is not the most… tactful of people."

Sasuke laughed aloud. "So you _are _capable of saying something against your precious Zabuza. I'm really glad. See, I think we could be friends. Both of us have one person we want to protect more than anything in the world. We're both strong, and unless I heard wrong before we both really like to fight against strong opponents. But I refuse, I absolutely _refuse_, to be friends with someone who calls himself a tool. Be Zabuza's bodyguard, fine. But that kind of relationship goes both ways. You've got to give respect to get it."

"I would like to be friends, too" Haku replied. "And I am humbled and grateful that you would be merciful after we tried to kill you. But I cannot change what I am, and what I am is whatever Zabuza needs me to be."

With a supreme effort of will, Sasuke waved that away with a sigh.

"I won't waste my breath. Let's just be friends for now, because the problem isn't you so much as Zabuza. And my brother has a way with people. When he's not killing them, that is. Maybe after Zabuza spends some time with Itachi he won't be quite the same Zabuza that you remember."

oOoOo

Zabuza woke up slowly, feeling as though an elephant had stomped on him. His head ached worse than any hangover he could remember, and in his mouth was the acrid, coppery tang of blood.

Years of shinobi training, made sharper by his time as a missing-nin, forced him to move before he even took stock of his surroundings. But when he tried to get to his feet, he found his arms and legs were shackled with rusty, iron cuffs. He was able to stand up after some effort, but he couldn't walk more than a few feet in any direction.

He looked around quickly, taking in his surroundings with a glance. There were wooden crates stacked in the corners, and a musty, fishy smell that could only mean he was near the waterfront. So this dark room was an abandoned warehouse, probably in the same district that he'd used as a base before starting this damned mission… _the mission_.

Zabuza groaned as it all came rushing back. He'd lost to Itachi, the famed missing-nin from Konoha. Haku too had lost, when he'd thought his apprentice was unbeatable. Still, all might not be lost. Itachi must be soft in the head if he thought a few rusty chains could keep the Demon of the Hidden Mist tied up.

"Ah, so you've awakened."

The dry, emotionless voice sounded to Zabuza like the whisper of a snake slithering through the grass. His heart sank as he turned, watching the shinobi who'd bested him materialize out of the shadows. Zabuza flinched when he saw Haku's body slung over Itachi's shoulder.

The Konoha missing-nin threw Haku to the ground like a piece of trash. Zabuza couldn't keep himself from looking down at Haku one last time, memorizing the face that had played so large a part of his life. Even if death, Haku looked calm, as serene as he'd always been in life.

"Your apprentice put up quite the fight," Itachi observed coolly, his black eyes boring unnervingly into Zabuza's own. "My brother is still recovering from his wounds."

Zabuza said nothing.

"He must have been a good tool," Itachi went on. "Obedient, loyal, and strong… I doubt you'll find another like him. Fighting Haku was Sasuke's first real test as a shinobi, and he wants a trophy to remember him by. I said he could have this." Itachi knelt down swiftly, drawing a short sword from a scabbard concealed beneath his cloak, and swinging the blade downward almost faster than Zabuza's eyes could follow. Haku's head separated cleanly from his body. There was no blood spurt since the body had been dead for a while.

One second Zabuza was watching dumbly, the next second he was straining at the chains, roaring mindlessly and straining every muscle in an effort to get at Itachi.

"I'll kill you!" Spit flew from his mouth and veins stood out from his neck. His vision centered on Itachi, who stood there watching him calmly.

Then Itachi's lips curved upwards in a satisfied smile. He made a hand sign, and Haku's body disappeared, along with the sword. Zabuza sank to his knees, utterly confusd and exhausted after his frenzied assault against the chains.

"What…" he began, sputtering and then leaving his question unasked.

"It was a genjutsu," Itachi replied. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, I simply wanted to confirm something. Haku is alive and well, though asleep; Sasuke's looking after him. It seems your apprentice made quite the impression on my brother."

"What the _fuck?_" Zabuza said, refusing to acknowledge the wave of relief that swept through him at Itachi's words. "Stop it with these sick mind games. If you're going to kill me, do it already."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you." Itachi walked forward until he was right in front of Zabuza. Then, to the ex-Kiri shinobi's astonishment, Itachi sat down cross-legged in front of him, so that they were eye-to-eye.

"I just wanted to find out if you really do see Haku as just a tool, or if, as I suspected, you feel some measure of affection for him. By your reaction just now, I'd say my suspicions were correct."

Zabuza looked away from the eyes that saw too much, fixing his gaze on a crack in the floor some meters away. "That's bullshit," Zabuza declared. "Haku is just a tool. I have no affection for anyone except myself. That's only another name for weakness."

Itachi held up a hand. "I'm not interested in your protests. For now, let's simply agree to disagree. I'm here to talk about something else."

Zabuza looked back up at his captor. "And what would that be?"

"You."

Zabuza shook his head. "Excuse me?"

"You," Itachi said once again. "I want to talk about Momochi Zabuza. Who he is, why he's fighting… and what he's going to do next."

_I see where this is going._ Zabuza grinned widely, noticing belatedly that someone had removed his headcloth. If Itachi was unnerved by his shark-like filed teeth, he gave no sign.

"Cut to the chase, Uchiha," Zabuza snarled. "What do you want from me?"

"Honestly? I want to hire you for a job. In return, I'll help you become Mizukage."

Seconds passed before Zabuza realized he was staring at Itachi, open-mouthed.

"W-what?" he stammered, completely non-plussed.

"You heard me. That's what you want, isn't it? That's why you worked for scumbags like Gato: you needed money to fund a revolution."

"Yeah, pretty much." Zabuza took a deep breath, trying to get a handle on the conversation, which was spiraling out of control. "But hold on a second. Did you forget that I just tried to kill you? You should be killing _me_, not promising to help me fulfill my ambition."

Itachi waved a hand carelessly. "I am not immature enough to hold a grudge against you for your actions. As you yourself said, we're both professionals. Besides, I can't rightly blame Gato for sending assassins after me. After all, I was planning on betraying him."

Zabuza blinked rapidly. Now things were getting interesting. Itachi smiled, seeing comprehension dawning.

"Now you begin to see. I'm guessing Gato told you he was worried that I knew too much about his operation, is that right? That I was too dangerous to allow to live?"

Zabuza nodded mutely.

"Well, he was absolutely correct," Itachi stated blandly. "I have not spent the last four years carrying out Gato's errands. I figured out how he runs his business, who his connections are, and most importantly, how to take control of his assets. I am poised to become the new CEO of Gato Company; the only thing standing in my way at this point is Gato himself. So how can I hold a grudge against Gato, or you by extension, for suspecting me of treachery I've actually committed? The way I see it, we might even be able to become friends."

Zabuza collected his thoughts before he spoke. Itachi was more dangerous than he'd ever imagined. Not just on the battlefield, but in the cutthroat maneuvering that went on behind the scenes. The miniscule Gato seemed almost laughable in comparison.

"If you're really serious about not killing me," Zabuza began, "then what is it you want me to help you with?"

"Now we come to the point. If you give me your word that I can trust you, I will release you and Haku. Together we will take over Gato Company, and the first thing we'll do with our wealth will be to fund a revolution and make you the new Mizukage. In return," Itachi paused and gave Zabuza a feral grin that made the missing-nin shiver, "you'll help me with a revolution of my own."

Zabuza almost didn't believe this was real. First he'd been defeated by a wounded shinobi, and now that same shinobi was offering him his dearest ambition. He was almost ashamed that he waited a few seconds before saying, "Done."

"Excellent." Without another word Itachi clapped his hands, and the chains binding Zabuza's arms disappeared. Zabuza looked at the other shinobi in awe. That whole time he'd been trapped in a genjutsu, even before he'd been fooled by Haku's dead body? It had been so realistic that his body had believed it was restrained even when he'd charged screaming at Itachi. That was a scary amount of skill, and Zabuza was even more impressed by Itachi.

Of course, he'd been so distracted by the revelations that Itachi kept making that Zabuza had never actually suppressed his chakra to make sure that he wasn't under a genjutsu. That was a rookie move, and Zabuza promised himself to never repeat that particular mistake. Just to make sure, he suppressed his chakra completely, which would dispel any other genjutsus that might be in effect. This time there was nothing.

"I give you my word that I will never put you or Haku under a genjutsu again, unless it be to defend myself or Sasuke against an attack. I further promise to aid you with all of the resources at my disposal, until you are Mizukage or until I am dead." Itachi stood up and extended a hand to Zabuza, who was still squatting on his heels. "Will you promise to abide by the terms of our agreement, even once you become Mizukage?"

Zabuza took the proffered hand. "I will."

"There's a few chairs over in the corner if you want to sit down. There's water if you want it, I imagine you have quite a headache at the moment. I did rattle your skull a little bit, after all."

"You don't say," Zabuza commented drily. He walked over to the chairs Itachi had mentioned, noticing that a pitcher of water had been set up on a small folding table. _Damn, this guy isn't one for overlooking the details, is he?_

He sat down and poured himself a glass of water, followed by Itachi.

"I was serious, you know," Itachi commented after a moment. "About hearing your story. I know only what anyone with a Bingo Book knows: you are Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist. Once one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure, and now rogue ninja. But I know there must be more than that."

Zabuza drained his glass in one gulp, and poured himself another.

"What do you want to hear?"

"Start from the beginning. How did you get the title Demon of the Bloody Mist?"

Zabuza tensed, though he tried not to show it. Still, he doubted Itachi missed it. Those dark eyes didn't miss anything.

"Kirigakure used to hold a competition for aspiring genin," Zabuza began. His mind began its oft-traveled journey, back to the day when he became famous. "We were paired off, and told to fight to the death. The winner was given a hitai-ite, and made an official shinobi of the village."

"I see," Itachi responded. "And you…"

"I killed every genin in my graduating class," Zabuza said without inflection. "From then on I was known as the Demon of the Bloody Mist."

He looked over at Itachi, daring the other shinobi to comment. "So, are you reconsidering your offer? Rather not throw in with a mass murderer?"

Itachi sipped slowly from his glass. "Not at all. You say your name with the ease of long practice. I even hear a little bit of pride in that name. But mostly, what I hear is pain. And regret. That's an emotion with which I'm extremely familiar."

Itachi put the glass down on the table, and turned to look at Zabuza directly. "Who was he? The boy you were supposed to kill to advance?"

Itachi's voice was a spike through Zabuza's heart. With unerring accuracy, the Uchiha had found the weak point in Zabuza's armor; the secret he had buried within his own heart, so deeply he thought it could never again cause him pain. He was wrong.

_Zabuza stood opposite his friend, his heart crying out in anguish. Hajime held out a kunai in his right hand, trembling a little but meeting Zabuza's gaze resolutely._

"_Please, Hajime," Zabuza called out. "We don't have to do this!"_

"_Shut up!" Hajime yelled, brandishing his kunai. "We trained together. So what? We were friends. So what? Nothing matters except who's stronger. I'm going to kill you and become a shinobi of Kirigakure. Die!"_

_He charged at Zabuza, who cried as he killed his friend. When he looked up from Hajime's corpse, his eyes were dry._

"_This is a test to see if we're 'worthy,' is that right Mizukage-sama? Then I'll show you just how 'worthy' I am!"_

_Zabuza screamed at the sky. Soon the mist rang with many more screams, until finally there was only silence._

Zabuza broke from his reverie, shaking off the painful memories. Itachi waited patiently.

"His name was Hajime," Zabuza said finally. "I consider him my greatest sensei. He taught me that only the strong survive."

"Not a bad philosophy as far as it goes," Itachi responded. "But I'm afraid I don't believe you. You regretted having to kill him. That might even be why you were so bent on killing the Mizukage. Am I right?"

"Whether you are or not, it doesn't matter. I am what I am, and that won't change. Feel free to make up some bullshit story about my tragic past, it's no skin off my nose. But I'm stil Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Bloody Mist. That's my name, and I'm proud of it."

"Do you want to know what my greatest regret is?"

Zabuza was too surprised by the sudden change of topic to make any reply.

"My greatest regret is that I didn't kill my best friend. I weighed his life against my duty, and his life won. And because of that decision, hundreds of good men and women died. Tens of thousands now live in slavery, which I could perhaps have prevented."

Itachi's eyes held sorrow so deep Zabuza thought he might drown in it.

"Am I correct in assuming that after your… graduation exam, the battle-to-the-death rule was put out of commission?"

"Yes," Zabuza answered.

"Then as far as I'm concerned that makes you a patriot. Perhaps that wasn't your intention, but as a direct result of your actions half of the shinobi of Kirigakure currently owe you their lives. I'm not saying you were right to do so, I'm just saying that I do not, and never will, judge you. And I can promise you this: before I'm done, Konoha will resound with the screams of dying Uchiha. Who knows? They may end up calling me the Demon of the Bloody Leaf."

Zabuza felt strangely humbled. Itachi had just bared his soul to him, trusted him with his deepest regrets and his darkest secrets. Moreover, he was trusting Zabuza not to betray him to Konoha, not to run off and collect the reward money when Itachi's back was turned.

There are few moments when people believe they truly know someone, and they rarely happen on such a short acquaintance as had existed between Zabuza and Itachi. Still, Zabuza felt completely confident in declaring, "You know something, Itachi? You're a cold-hearted bastard. I like that. I think we'll do great things together."

Itachi laughed. "Yes, I think we will. And the first order of business will be to pay a visit to a friend of mine. You may have heard of him. He's short, wears spectacles, and runs a shipping company…"

**A/N: **A pretty short chapter, to set things up for the gut-busting finale. I hope you enjoyed Zabuza's point of view, because you'll be seeing him again, as well as his girly apprentice. Ever since I started this story I've been planning the Sasuke/Haku and Itachi/Zabuza friendships (_not _slash, in case any of you were wondering), because the two of them have so much in common in my version. Team Missing-Nin is going to be kicking some serious Kirigakure ass in the future, though the next arc will focus more on Konoha and Suna. We've also got some angst coming once Akemi wakes up, so look forward to that. Remember to review!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I ended up splitting this chapter into two, in order to do justice to the emotional turmoil that Squad 13 is about to go through, without rushing the final fight and the parting scene. For those of you who've been waiting for more of Kakashi, Hinata, the Konoha orphans, or the Suna siblings, just bear with me for the next two chapters. Once the Land of the Waves arc ends, familiar faces will reappear, and I'll pick up the different plot lines where they left off.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 11**

First, there was darkness. Then it lessened by degrees, until finally Akemi decided to open her eyes, and see the brightly-lit living room. The pillow supporting her head was wonderfully soft, as were the sheets covering the sofa on which she was sprawled. She had one hand pressed hard against her side, where she encountered a mass of bandages, tightly wrapped around her entire midsection.

She felt a little woozy, and when she shifted slightly pain shot up her entire right side.

"She's awake!"

The voice came from behind, out of Akemi's range of vision, and she didn't feel up to moving her head. Besides, the voice was so familiar she didn't need to see who was speaking.

Takeshi rushed from the kitchen to her side, Hinamaru barking joyfully at his heels. He looked like he wanted to hug her, but restrained himself after glancing at her bandaged wound. Hinamaru jumped up and slurped her hand. The tickling sensation of the hound's tongue across her hand startled a laugh out of Akemi, which turned into a painful cough.

Her teammate leaned over her, concern written plainly on his face. "How do you feel?"

Akemi was too distracted looking into his eyes to respond. They were a deep, dark black, like the eyes of many Uchiha, but as Akemi watched she remembered them being another color: a brilliant, ruby red, with a black tomoe swirling rapidly.

"Akemi?" Takeshi repeated, looking even more worried.

_What? _Oh, right. She had been injured.

"I'm fine, Takeshi. A little light-headed, but fine."

"The doctor said that was to be expected," came a new voice from the direction of the kitchen. Akemi craned her neck, bringing into view a woman with a distinctive motherly look. "Are you feeling up to some food, dear?" the woman asked kindly.

Akemi's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. "Now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry…"

"Then you just wait right there, I'll bring you a plate."

Akemi shook her head vigorously—or at least, as vigorously as she could manage. "No, please. I'll eat in the kitchen. Takeshi, help me get up from this damn sofa."

He made no move to help her. "Akemi, are you sure that's a good idea?"

She was about to speak, when Naruto's voice cut in. "Help her up, Takeshi. She has to get on her feet sooner or later, so better make it sooner."

Akemi looked to the other end of the living room, where Naruto stood leaning casually against the doorframe. Akemi didn't think she could remember Naruto ever sounding so cold, or wearing such a stern expression. But she wasn't going to question it if he wanted to help get her out of this embarrassing situation.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't need to have breakfast in bed like an old lady."

Takeshi offered his arm, which Akemi used to pull herself to her feet. She walked into the kitchen, landing gingerly on her right foot, which sent shooting pains up her side every time it hit the floor.

The kindly woman had already pulled a chair back for her, and to Akemi's satisfaction there were five other places set at the table. She hadn't missed whatever meal this was, and wouldn't have to eat alone with everyone watching her.

Akemi sat down, and shot an apologetic glance towards the woman. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name…"

"I'm Tsunami, dear. Tazuna is my father, so believe me when I say I'm truly in your debt. The three of you are so brave to help him, even putting your lives in danger."

A tea kettle on the stove began hissing, pulling Tsunami away before Akemi could respond. Takeshi sat down next to Akemi, and Naruto took a seat across from them.

"Tsunami helped bandage your wound," Takeshi explained. "The doctor was really impressed with the work she did. She might even have saved your life!"

"Doctor?" Akemi asked weakly.

"We went into town to get you a doctor," Naruto answered. "That was almost two days ago."

Akemi was trying to frame all of the questions she had in her mind, but there was only one she actually cared about. _ What about Itachi?_

But before she could ask a loud cry echoed from the stairs.

"She's up!" Tazuna came into the kitchen, doing a little victory dance that made him seem like an excited child, rather than an old man of over sixty. "And how are you feeling today, kunoichi?"

"Like I got stabbed," Akemi replied wryly, "what do you think?" Then her stomach growled for the second time. "And I'm as hungry as Naruto."

Takeshi and Tazuna let out twin barks of laughter, but Naruto remained uncharacteristically silent. Akemi was distracted from the weird behavior of her teammate when Tsunami brought steaming platters of food to the table.

"Inari, breakfast is ready!" Tsunami yelled. "That's my son," she added in an aside to Akemi.

A sullen-looking boy at least a few years younger than Akemi came trudging down the steps, to sit at the last open seat at the table. He wore a straw hat that was pulled low over his eyes.

"Inari, say hello to our guests," Tsunami urged.

Inari made a grudging sound that might have been 'Hello,' Akemi couldn't be sure.

"We'll work on that, young man," Tsunami said sternly, but Akemi noticed that her eyes were sad. "Right, everyone, let's dig in."

For the next few minutes there was silence except for the satisfied sighs coming from around the table. For once Akemi ate as much as her teammates, keeping pace with Takeshi as he dove upon the delicious food, like… well, like an animal. When everyone was done they pushed their plates back, and Akemi made to stand up and help with the dishes.

"You stay right there, young lady," Tsunami said sternly. "I won't have it said that I need an invalid's help to keep my house in order. Sit!"

Akemi sat.

"Akemi," Naruto began, the tone of his voice warning her that something was up. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Akemi set her jaw. There was something about his commanding tone that made her not want to agree to his request.

"If you have anything to say to me, you can say it here," she answered nonchalantly.

Naruto sighed. "If that's what you want." Then he reached over the table and slapped her in full in the face.

Everyone at the table froze.

"What the hell was that for?" Akemi snarled, reaching up to feel her stinging cheek where Naruto's hand had left a mark.

"That was for abandoning us during the fight," Naruto responded calmly. "You left me and Takeshi alone against Sasuke to take on Itachi by yourself. You disobeyed a direct order, and we could have died because of it."

"Shut up!" Akemi cried, her anger igniting at Naruto's words even more than the slap. "So what if I disobeyed orders? You're not my sensei! Itachi killed my brother, I had to fight him!"

Naruto shook his head curtly, his normally cheerful blue eyes boring into hers relentlessly.

"Hansuke-sensei put me in charge. Now that he's dead, I'm the leader. I don't like it, but that's the way it is. Akemi, listen to me. You had no hope against Itachi. He swatted you aside like a bug. Maybe if we'd stuck together, we could have killed Sasuke quickly and then defended ourselves against Itachi. But you forgot about teamwork. You forgot about your _teammates_. That's something a Cadet of the Military Police simply can't do."

Akemi looked down at her empty plate in sullen silence. There was more truth in Naruto's words than she wanted to admit.

"Akemi, look at me." Naruto's voice softened a little. "I understand what you're feeling. You swore to avenge your brother, and Takeshi and I swore with you. But we were children then. Now we're Cadets, and we have a mission to protect Tazuna. It's a mission that Hansuke-sensei gave his life to accomplish. If you run off to get your revenge, you abandon everything that he stood for."

Harsh tears came to Akemi's eyes as she remembered Hansuke-sensei's body, lying motionless in the grass at Itachi's feet. She remembered the hours and hours they'd spent training, and the pride she'd felt when Hansuke congratulated her on awakening her sharingan. He had been a pillar of stability in her life, a source of authority and a valued comrade. And just like that, he was gone. Just like Shisui. It was all because of Itachi.

The hatred burned in her eyes, even through the tears. Naruto nodded, seeing the emotion he'd been expecting.

"I feel the same way, Akemi," Naruto said, clenching his hands into fists on the table. "I want to avenge Hansuke-sensei just like you. I want to rip Itachi's head off, and pull his guts out with my bare hands. Every time I think about that fight I almost give in to the rage. But I can't, because we have a job to do. And it doesn't include revenge."

Naruto waited for Akemi to wipe the tears away with the back of her hand.

"I need to know we can trust you, Akemi. Can you promise me, right here and now, that you'll obey my orders until we return to Konoha? Can you do what I say, when I say, even if it means letting Itachi live? If not, you might as well leave now. Takeshi and I need to know that you won't put us in danger. If you leave us hanging like you did last time, we might not survive. So what's it going to be?"

Akemi had completely forgotten about the audience, so intense was her focus on Naruto. She took a second to look at Takeshi, who was watching her with worried eyes. There was no judgment in those eyes, even knowing that she'd left him during the fight. No matter what she chose to do, he would support her.

And Naruto would, too, Akemi realized. He wasn't saying this to be mean, he was just trying to do his best to do what sensei would have done in his place. He was probably just as terrified as Akemi was, just as angry and scared. But he was still going, still determined to complete the mission that they had started.

Akemi locked eyes with Naruto. "I'm with you," she declared, making the words a challenge. They clasped hands across the dinner table, neither looking away.

"I'm glad," Naruto said at last, sitting back down in his chair. "It would have been a pain to finish this mission without you. But I don't think you have to worry. Itachi's still alive, and probably still determined to kill Tazuna. I think we'll get a second chance at him."

From his seat at the head of the table, Tazuna let out a small _eep_.

"That's not very comforting, Naruto," Tsunami said, worry etched across her face. "Are you three strong enough to protect my father?"

"This is so stupid!" Inari yelled, causing every head to turn towards him. Following his outburst he pushed back his chair and jumped to his feet. "Don't you see you're all going to die?"

"What's with that attitude, kiddo?" Naruto asked.

"Only idiots believe in heroes," Inari shouted. "Anyone who tries to stand up to Gato dies. Just like your stupid sensei!"

Takeshi growled, and Akemi and Naruto both bristled at the insult to Hansuke.

"He was too weak to fight Gato, and now he's dead! Where's the point in that?"

Inari ran off, a few angry tears falling to the floor in his wake.

"That little…" Naruto growled. "I oughta go beat some sense into him!"

"Please cut him a little slack," Tsunami replied, watching her son leave. "He's had a very rough time, and it's made him the pessimist that you've seen."

"What happened?" Takeshi asked.

"There was a man named Kaiza who lived here for many years," Tazuna answered. "He came to be a father to Inari. He taught him to stand up for oneself, to defend what was precious with your own two hands. But then Gato came. He is a rich man who wanted to exploit the Land of Waves. He runs a shipping company and made a lot of money controlling the sea trade around these parts. But while he grew richer, our town grew poorer. Kaiza tried to stand up to Gato. But Gato's thugs staked him out in the middle of town, and killed him."

"And that's why Inari believes there's no such thing as a hero? Because his own hero was killed?" Naruto looked at the door out of which Inari had left, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"That's right," Tazuna said sadly. "I keep hoping he will come to terms with Kaiza's death, and honor his sacrifice, but for now this is how Inari deals with his grief. Maybe once the bridge is completed, breaking Gato's hold on this country, he'll be able to recapture some of his old self."

Naruto got up from the table abruptly. "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back in a minute, and we'll go over the plan together."

He left in the same direction that Inari had gone, leaving Akemi with no doubts about where her teammate was headed.

Akemi turned to Takeshi, who had a knowing look on his face as he watched Naruto leave the kitchen.

"He seems different," Akemi observed once Naruto was out of earshot.

Takeshi turned towards her, his face becoming very grave. "He is different. I think we all are, after Hansuke-sensei's death."

"How did we get away?" Akemi asked. She'd been too distracted, not to mention furious, to ask Naruto before.

"It's all thanks to Naruto. After you charged Itachi we were left to fight Sasuke. We probably would have died, but then Itachi stabbed you, and we thought you were dead. Naruto… he went berserk. He knocked Sasuke into a tree, and slashed Itachi across the leg before he even knew what was happening. His chakra… it was like nothing I've ever seen. I don't think Hansuke-sensei had even a fraction of Naruto's chakra."

Akemi stared at Takeshi. She wouldn't have believed him, but his face showed nothing but utter honesty. Naruto had beaten Sasuke by himself? And he'd wounded Itachi?

"It must have been the Kyuubi's chakra," Takeshi continued. "You remember he told us he was its container. The chakra made him incredibly powerful, but I don't think he can control it very well. It took me a little while to get him back to his senses once I found out you were still alive. It was like he couldn't even hear me, he was so focused on killing Itachi. It was scary."

"Wow," Akemi breathed. She would never have suspected such strength from her brazen, blond teammate. "But that's not all that's changed, is it? He's a leader now."

Takeshi nodded, immediately knowing what she meant. "He took charge during the escape, and when we got you to the house. He hasn't let himself slow down even a little, not even to be sad about Hansuke-sensei. If we survive this, it will be because of Naruto."

Akemi sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Naruto really was in charge. She would obey his orders from now on, though; she could see he was the right choice. But Akemi hoped Itachi would show up again, and that Naruto would unleash the full might of the Kyuubi upon him. It would be a fitting fate for her brother's murderer.

"I wonder what he's saying to Inari?" Takeshi mused. "I hope he finishes soon and gets back in here. We need to do some serious planning if we're going to keep Tazuna, not to mention ourselves, alive."

oOoOo

Naruto found Inari sitting at the edge of the dock, with his feet dangling a few feet above the water. He approached slowly, sitting down next to the younger boy without making a sound.

Inari sniffed, swiping the last few tears away with his hand.

"Tazuna told me about Kaiza," Naruto began after a moment.

"He was stupid," Inari said immediately. "Why did he have to fight, when he knew it wouldn't be enough? Why couldn't he just go along with Gato? Then he'd still be… he'd still be alive."

"Can I tell you a story, kid?"

"My name's Inari, not kid! And stories are for babies."

Naruto turned his face away, and smiled when he was sure Inari couldn't see him. Inari had fire within him, he just needed a little help finding the right path.

"Right, Inari. This isn't a bedtime story. It's about a man who was very special to me and my teammates."

"Your sensei?"

Naruto nodded. "You're sharp, Inari. That's right, I want to tell you about my sensei. His name was Hansuke, and he was one of the strongest people I ever knew. He taught me and my teammates how to fight. I thought nothing could ever hurt him. But I was wrong. He died almost three days ago, and there's a part of me that still doesn't believe it. I keep thinking he'll come walking right through your mom's front door, and start yelling at us for setting up a crappy perimeter."

Naruto gave a short, soft laugh, remembering how intimidating Hansuke could be.

"But I know the truth. I'll never see him again, at least not while I'm alive. But you know something? If he had to do it all over again, I don't think Hansuke would have done anything differently… except maybe for bringing along a hundred more shinobi."

"But that's stupid," Inari protested. "If he really cared about you, he wouldn't have gone off to die. He wouldn't have left you."

_So that's it. He's still grieving, and in a way he's mad because he thinks that Kaiza didn't love him enough to stay with him._

"You make a good point, Inari. But what would have happened if Hansuke decided not to fight? Your grandpa would be dead now. Hansuke decided long ago that he would risk his life to keep people safe. Because of him, Tazuna is free to pursue his dream. Don't you think that's a good reason to fight?"

Inari shook his head stubbornly. "Grandpa shouldn't try to build the bridge. Gato is just going to kill him, too! If he didn't try to build that stupid bridge, your sensei would still be alive, and Grandpa wouldn't be in danger."

"I'm afraid you're wrong about that, Inari. Ok, maybe your grandfather wouldn't be in danger if he wasn't building the bridge. But do you think that if everyone just bows down to Gato, he'll let everybody live? Because that's not true. Some people are just evil, like Gato. They hurt people for fun, and no matter how much you try and avoid them, no matter how much money or power you give them, they'll never stop."

Then Naruto startled Inari with a grin. "That's where people like your father and your grandfather come in. And my sensei, too. They're people who put their lives on the line to protect everyone. It doesn't mean they love other people more than you. In fact, I bet Kaiza loved you more than anyone in the world."

Inari's breath hitched, telling Naruto he'd hit the target. Part of Inari feared that maybe, if Kaiza had loved him more, he wouldn't have gone off to stop Gato.

"Sometimes the heroes don't win," Naruto said, his voice heavy with sincere grief. "But here's the secret. No hero can win alone. Maybe if Hansuke had been here before, and met Kaiza, the two of them could have stopped Gato together. If enough heroes work together, nobody can keep them down."

"But you're not a hero. You're just a kid, like me."

"Hey, watch who you're calling a kid, you little squirt!" Naruto snatched Inari's hat, and ruffled the boy's hair. He squirmed away, grabbing his hat back with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, so maybe I'm just a kid. But kids can be heroes too. And I'm not alone. As long as my team fights with me, we can take down anyone! Believe me, Inari, we'll make Gato pay. But the question you have to ask yourself is this: do you want to be a victim or a hero? A victim might live safely for a while. But sooner or later someone comes along and tries to take advantage of you. You're free to make your own decision, but as for me, I'd rather be a hero."

Inari looked away, over at the waves sparkling in the morning sun. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "A-aren't you afraid you're going to die?"

"I'd be lying if I said no. But I'm more afraid of my friends dying. That's why I'll fight with everything I've got, and even lay down my life if I have to. And I won't regret a single second."

Naruto stood up, turned, and then went back to the house. Inari stayed where he was, staring out into the sea.

When Naruto re-entered the kitchen, his teammates were there waiting for him.

"How did it go?" Takeshi asked.

"I don't really know. He's a good kid, just misguided and afraid. Right, let's get down to business. We're deep in hostile territory, with a rich asshole and a pair of runaway Uchiha after us. Let's show these fools the power of the Konoha Military Police!"

This time it was Akemi who responded. "What's the plan?"

"The plan is…" Naruto raised his arms dramatically, causing his teammates to lean in with bated breath. "…call for reinforcements."

Akemi and Takeshi almost fell out of their chairs.

"You call that a _plan?_"

Naruto dropped the play-acting, resuming the serious expression that Akemi had seen on his face so often that morning.

"It's really the only option we have. If Hansuke lost to Itachi, then we have a slim chance of taking him out, at best. Sasuke was keeping us busy until Takeshi got his sharingan, so chances are Itachi is way, way out of our league."

"Don't forget about those other people that Hinamaru and I sensed. They were shinobi too, or at least they smelled like it."

Naruto looked at Takeshi curiously for a moment. "What do shinobi smell like? …You know what, never mind. I don't want to know." He rubbed his hands together, focusing on the task at hand.

"Here's what we know. Itachi and Sasuke are out there, and worst case scenario is they have back-up. Probably shinobi, with unknown abilities. So we're outmanned and outclassed, as much as it pisses me off to admit it. The only thing to do is send for help. The Hokage will jump at the chance to apprehend Itachi and Sasuke. They've been missing for over five years, and the bounty on their heads has only increased. Once we get word to Konoha, I bet you we'll have a full team of elite Policemen and Hunters dispatched to reinforce us. The only thing we have to do is hold on until they come."

Akemi snorted derisively. "I think you're forgetting one important detail. How are we going to get a message to Konoha in the first place?"

Naruto tapped the side of his nose in what he hoped was a mysterious, knowing gesture. "I'll just have to use my native informant." While Akemi and Takeshi were wondering what the hell he meant by that, Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Old Man! Where can we get a messenger hawk around here?"

Tazuna's voice came from upstairs. "Downtown, near where Doctor Rahkesh lives."

Naruto smiled at his teammates, holding his hands up as if to say, "See?"

"There you go: my native informant. I'll go into town and send off the message. A hawk flying straight to Konoha should get there in little more than a day, and then an elite squad traveling full speed should get here in around two days. So we just need to hold out for three or four days."

Naruto broke off for a second, as Tazuna came down the stairs and joined them at the table. "What do you need messenger hawks for?"

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Tazuna. "To send a message, old man! Why else?"

"You little punk! Respect your elders, or I'll make you wish you had!"

As Naruto wrestled good-naturedly with Tazuna, he hoped his antics would go a little ways toward restoring normalcy within his squad. He really felt bad about having to come down on Akemi so hard. Everything he'd said had been necessary, but he hoped that having to be the voice of command wouldn't injure their friendship.

Madara said that a leader had to be above those he led, had to keep himself apart. But Naruto didn't know if he could do that with Akemi or Takeshi. They were the brother and sister he'd never had, and it would tear him apart if having to command them drove a wedge between them.

"Hey, Tazuna," Naruto said, lifting the headlock that he'd managed to get on the old bridgebuilder, "could you give me specific directions to the place that keeps messenger hawks? I should go now, so reinforcements arrive as soon as possible."

Tazuna massaged his neck with a calloused hand, breathing heavily after the scuffle. "Ah, you're calling in the cavalry? Smart idea. Yeah, I'll write the directions down for you. Sure you don't want me to go?"

"I'm sure," Naruto replied. "I don't want to have to look out for you, it'll be safer if I go alone. Takeshi, you're on guard duty until I get back. Akemi, just get as much rest as you can. We need you in top form as soon as possible."

Naruto took a sheet of paper from Tazuna, which had specific directions written down.

"Old man, if everything goes well we should have some ass-kicking backup in three days. We need to lie low until then, got that?"

Tazuna stopped abruptly, facing Naruto with a serious expression. "I can't do that, I'm afraid. I must begin work on the bridge immediately. I would have gone today if Akemi hadn't still been unconcscious."

"What? Old man, don't you get that you're in danger? We might not be able to protect you if Itachi chooses to attack before reinforcements arrive."

"Perhaps it would be more prudent to wait," Tazuna admitted. "But it's not that simple. Right now, I am the only hope that the Land of Waves has. Perhaps that sounds a little big-headed, but it's true. My bridge will break the stranglehold that Gato has on our economy. If I want people to help me build this bridge, I can't show weakness. It's about making a statement, about inspiring my countrymen to take a stand. I'll admit I was scared before, but now things are different. I'm going to finish what Kaiza started, and I won't let another day pass without starting work on the bridge."

Naruto sighed when he realized that the stubborn old man wasn't going to budge an inch.

"We'll talk about this when I get back. Akemi, try to keep the old man from running out to challenge Gato to single combat, will you?"

"Somebody ought to," she muttered under her breath, but nodded her acquiescence.

"Right, then I'm off."

Naruto was off in a flash, after using the Transformation jutsu to make himself look like a non-descript, middle-aged man. He strode through the streets of the coastal town as if he owned the world, but kept his eyes peeled for trouble. In the daylight, the general filth and squalor that was Gato's legacy was even clearer. Naruto promised himself that Gato would get what was coming to him.

After a few discreet peeks at the directions, Naruto managed to discover the dilapidated building that apparently kept messenger hawks. It was a post office, so it made sense that there were a few of the high-speed birds that shinobi preferred for quick messages.

Naruto haggled for a little while with the post-man before handing over a few coins. He hastily wrote a short message on the back of the sheet with the directions to the post office, rolled up the paper, and stuffed it into a message tube. The post-man brought him to the second floor, which had been converted into coops for the birds. Naruto picked out the biggest bird, hoping it was also the fastest, and attached the message tube to its leg.

"Does it know to go to Konoha?" Naruto asked the post-man.

"Of course," the post-man replied proudly. He was a small, nervous man, but it was clear he loved the messenger birds like his own children. "Just tell him where he should go, and he'll get the message there before you know it."

"Take this to the Hokage's Tower in Konohagakure," Naruto told the bird, feeling slightly silly. But the intelligent gleam in the hawk's eyes made him feel more confident. He went to the open window and thrust the bird into the open air.

He immediately took heart when he saw how swiftly the hawk gained altitude. It shot off towards Konoha with speed that Naruto could only envy.

Naruto thanked the post-man for his trouble, and walked back to Tazuna's house feeling as though he might get his squad through this mission alive after all.

If he'd had Takeshi's acute sense of smell, he might have sensed the figure lurking on a nearby rooftop. But he didn't, and so Sasuke went completely unnoticed.

"Damn it," the young Uchiha muttered as he saw the hawk winging its way into the distance. "Itachi was right about them sending for help. Well, at least I wasn't watching the stupid post office all day for nothing."

He thumbed his earpiece gently, activating the tiny microphone that connected him to the other members of the 'Missing-nin Alliance,' as he'd taken to thinking about their strange group.

"One hawk coming your way, Haku. Bring it down."

"I'm on it. Sir Hawk, I apologize for what I have to do."

Sasuke cut off the connection with a laugh. _Never change, Haku, _he thought wryly.

Far out to sea, in a rowboat outfitted with a large motor, Haku waited for the hawk. When the tell-tale brown speck appeared, outlined against the horizon, he jumped out of the boat onto a platform of ice that materialized from the water beneath his feet. It rose towards the sky, until Haku was almost as high as the hawk. The sun glinted off a shower of steel, and then the messenger hawk fell to the sea, pierced through with multiple senbon.

Haku's ice platform brought him back down to sea level, and he began the short journey back to shore.

oOoOo

The next day was sunny and clear, bringing with it the promise of hope for Squad 13. Reinforcements were on the way, and even Tazuna's insistence on beginning work on the bridge didn't make them lose faith that they were almost out of the woods. Together they set out to roust the workers, carrying over-sized lunches which Tsunami had packed for them.

But while the members of Squad 13 were thinking of ways to defend the bridge from attackers, elsewhere in the Land of Waves there was another who was fixated on destroying that bridge. In his office in the only prosperous part of town, Gato looked out of his window and rejoiced that soon his plans would be complete.

"Have you sent the men already?" he asked, without turning around.

"Yes, Gato-sama," Waraji answered. As usual, the shirtless shinobi was waiting patiently in Gato's office, ready to carry out any of his employer's orders. "Over a hundred fighters, all armed and ready. They know Tazuna is back, and they're all drooling with greed for the reward. It's not a question of whether they kill him, it's how many pieces they'll bring him back in."

"Excellent," said Gato with an evil leer. "I abhor wasting money, but a sizable reward is still the quickest way I know to get things done. What about the team of shinobi fromm Iwagakure? Do they have their orders?"

"Yes, Gato-sama. While your army attacks the defenders, the Iwa team will place explosives and destroy the bridge. They'll be back for the second half of their fee once the bridge is gone."

Gato laughed shrilly. Tazuna's bridge had been a thorn in his side for far too long. Now he would get to see it wiped off the face of the earth.

"You know," he said philosophically to Waraji, who was well used to being a silent audience for Gato's gloating, "In my wildest dreams I never thought that both Zabuza and Hiro would fail to kill Tazuna. From what we learned from Doctor Rahkesh, they even managed to kill the jonin sensei, and yet it's the genin who survived. I wonder how that happened. Did Zabuza perhaps attack Hiro right after he killed the Uchiha jonin? Perhaps they killed each other? Ah, life is full of ironies. It's a good thing I decided to contract with shinobi from a real Hidden Village just in case. Those Iwa shinobi will get the job done, even if they have to blow themselves up to do it."

A knock came at the door, interrupting Gato's monologue.

"It's Zouri, Gato-sama. Momochi Zabuza is here to see you."

"Aha," Gato exclaimed, turning to face the door. "So he finished the job after all! I suppose he's been busy licking his wounds all this time. Send him in," he called out in a louder voice.

Momochi Zabuza walked in, with his apprentice following at his heels.

"So you completed the task I set you, hm?" Gato asked, a gleam of reflected light making the lenses of his spectacles look like two small, silver coins. "And yet you left Tazuna alive, along with his miniscule protectors. Tell me, did the mighty Demon of the Bloody Mist balk at killing genin?"

Zabuza just looked at Gato scornfully. "I had no time. Do you want Hiro and Isamu's heads or not?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much. Bring them in, and I'll pay you the rest of what you're owed."

Zabuza hooked one thumb at the door, motioning to Haku to leave. "You heard the man. Go fetch their heads." Haku left in a flash, a sad smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Zabuza smirked at Gato, an expression which came through very clearly even though bandages covered his mouth and neck.

"Maybe I should have mentioned before. Their heads are still attached to their bodies."

Before Gato even had a chance to process this, Haku had returned, bringing with him the—very alive—bodies of Hiro and Isamu.

"Z-zouri, Waraji," Gato stammered, leaning against the window-sill behind him as his knees gave way. "Kill them."

"Sorry, boss," said the shirtless samurai, making no move to draw his sword. "He pays even better than you do. Besides, I'd prefer not to die today. This guy's twice as ruthless as you are."

Gato tried to speak, but his mouth refused to form words. The best he could do was an unintelligible stutter, which died out when Itachi began to advance on him. How had things gone so wrong? With all of his money and power, was this really the end?

"I congratulate you," the shinobi Gato knew as Hiro said quietly. "Your wealth will be responsible for the downfall of two Kages. Not many people accomplish that much in one lifetime."

He drew nearer, unstoppable and unforgiving as an avalanche. The last thing Gato ever saw was a pair of eyes, black as night and colder than the depths of winter.

**A/N: **All right! Next chapter is definitely the last one for this arc, I promise. And by the way, 15,000 words in five days. I'm kind of a big deal. Don't forget to review, review, review!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Over 100 Reviews! ** That's a big milestone for me, so thanks everybody! Without your feedback this story might still be trapped in my head. Anyway, here it is, the conclusion to the Land of Waves arc. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 12**

It was a bright and sunny day in the Land of Waves, and Naruto was glad to see it. It wasn't that the warm rays were relaxing; in fact, he was as tense as a coiled spring. No, the value of the bright sun was that it would make it a lot harder for anyone to sneak up on the bridge.

Naruto continued walking around the edge of the bridge, constantly looking around, alert for any threat. The huge structure was a prominent location, so much so that it was impossible that Gato hadn't heard by now that Tazuna was resuming construction. Naruto was under no illusions; something was going to happen. This period of peaceful labor would not last.

Akemi came up to Naruto, leaving Takeshi and Hinamaru guarding Tazuna. The weathered old man was ordering his workers around with a loud voice of command. Seeing Tazuna in his element was a bit of a surprise for all of the members of Squad 13. Here he was both king and commander, directing the frantic activity with gruff efficiency.

"Any sign of action?" Akemi asked. Naruto thought she sounded a little too eager, but let it pass.

"Nothing yet. My clones have the entire area surrounded, so we'll have some warning."

Naruto's attention was diverted at the sound of a commotion happening near Tazuna. One of the workers had thrown down his tools.

_This could be trouble._ Naruto kept one eye on the worker, as it was possible that Gato had sent spies or turncloaks to infiltrate Tazuna's bridgebuilders. But Takeshi was there, and Naruto trusted him to sense any signs of aggression.

"I can't do this anymore," the worker declared, looking at Tazuna with a mixture of fear, guilt, and anger at feeling guilty. "Working on this bridge is the same thing as signing my own death warrant! I know what you want to accomplish, Tazuna, but Gato's just too powerful!"

The worker turned to his comrades, who were all watching the scene intently, work temporarily forgotten. "Anybody who wants to live should come with me. Would you rather be poor, but alive? Or dead?"

"That's enough!" Tazuna roared. Spit flew from his mouth and the veins in his neck bulged, making him look like a raging bull. "I get it, you're scared. I'm scared, too. But if we don't build this bridge, Gato wins. And he won't stop killing anyone who gets in his way. This bridge is the only way we can be free!"

Naruto was watching the crowd, and growing more worried by the second. Some looked convinced by Tazuna's words, but in many more faces Naruto saw fear. These were not warriors. Once one of them put into words what they were all feeling, they would start to lose hope.

Naruto wanted to say something, but he knew he might just make the situation worse. Talking would just draw the workers' attention to the fact that, as of now, their only protection was a three-man squad of pre-teens. Even if that wasn't quite an accurate summation of Naruto's team, these workers had no way of knowing that. So Naruto held his tongue, and hoped for the best.

Which is why he was so bitterly disappointed when, at that exact moment, the worst happened.

A rush of memory hit Naruto like a mental sledgehammer, as one of his clones guarding the entrance into town dispelled.

"We've got company, Akemi," Naruto murmured under his breath. "Armed thugs approaching from town, but there might be shinobi with them in disguise. We've got to get these workers out of the way now."

Akemi bared her teeth in a fierce parody of a grin, one hand straying to the kunai holstered on her right hip. "I'll take care of it. You go round up your clones."

"Not a problem." Another clone popped into existence next to Naruto, and ran to the far end of the bridge, where another clone was waiting. From there, the message would pass to all of the sentries that Naruto had created.

Meanwhile, Akemi was working her way over to Tazuna. She whispered into his ear, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Listen up, everyone," he yelled, "Gato's sent his army of goons. Get out of here quickly, and obey Naruto's orders. He'll keep you all safe, and let you know once we're done here."

There were a few fearful cries, which were sharply stifled by Tazuna. In little under a minute, the workers had formed into a tight group, and a squad of twenty clones was leading them away along the shoreline. By the time Gato's men reached the bridge, the workers would be long gone.

Akemi, Takeshi, and Tazuna came up to Naruto, waiting for his orders. Naruto looked at Tazuna, one eye twitching. "And you're still here… why, exactly?"

"Don't waste time yelling at me, brat!" Tazuna said gruffly. "This is my bridge, and I'm not moving for anything. If Gato wants it, he can take it over my dead body."

"Whatever," Naruto sighed. "Just don't get in our way. Take cover behind the barricade, and my clones will protect you. We can take care of these jokers."

At that moment the jokers appeared, coming into view a few hundred yards away from the bridge, around a curve in the road. The sun glinted off a scattered array of weaponry, mostly machetes and spears, but also a few katanas and a scimitar or two. Naruto thought he even saw a pitchfork.

"Naruto," Takeshi said worriedly, "there's a lot of them."

It was true, there were almost two hundred thugs approaching the bridge. That was a lot to worry about, even supposing there were no ninja or samurai in the group.

"Well, look on the bright side," Naruto said, adopting a cheerful tone. "This is probably everything Gato has left. Once we beat these guys like a drum, we can go find Gato himself and finish him off."

"You're forgetting Itachi," Akemi pointed out, unable to keep the venom from her voice when she spoke his name.

"No, I'm not. He's why I haven't pulled all of my clones away from sentry duty. Fifty clones will guard Tazuna behind the barricade, and I have two hundred evenly spaced all around the bridge. Even if Itachi tried to attack from the sea, we'll have some warning. But what that means is that for now, we're on our own. I can pull in the clones if necessary, but we can't afford to waste our strength on these goons."

"Then let's make sure to kill them quickly." Akemi's grin was filled with pure malice. Naruto returned it in kind.

By this time the mob had reached the bridge. Tazuna went to take shelter in the makeshift barricade of loose bricks, sandbags, and cement. A platoon of fifty clones took up defensive positions around the barricade, ready to unleash hell on anyone that got too close to the bridgebuilder.

Naruto stepped forward, scanning the mob for a leader. An oily-looking man with a goatee moved out of the crowd, one hand caressing a sword-hilt with a braided red cord hanging down.

"We are envoys of Gato-sama," the man began, drawing ugly laughs from the men behind him. "Surrender Tazuna to us and we'll let you live."

"Let me give you our counter-offer," Naruto replied. "Turn around and run now, and we promise not to get your blood on our clothes."

"You're cheeky for a child. I'm going to enjoy carving you up."

Naruto extended two fingers, giving his opponent the "come here" gesture. _You have to give it to that bastard, Sasuke. It's a pretty cool taunt._

The enemy leader looked past Squad 13 at the barricade where Tazuna was taking shelter. "I see our target is guarded by your clones. That means that once you're dead, there's nothing left to keep us from collecting our reward."

Akemi and Takeshi took up defensive stances to either side of Naruto. The spokesman from Gato's mob drew his sword, and pointed it at the three Cadets.

"Kill them!"

The army of thugs surged forward, screaming bloody murder. Naruto flashed a quick signal to his teammates, just one of the many commands Military Policemen knew like the back of their hands. The next second six kunai streaked towards the attackers, with burning white tags attached to the handles.

The explosive tags detonated a second later, decimating the entire front row. The leader with the braided cord hanging from his katana became a greasy smear on the bridge, and the men standing next to him were no better off. Men screamed and writhed in agony, some missing limbs and others suffering severe burns. Ten thugs would no longer be a threat to Tazuna, or anyone for that matter.

The main group faltered for a moment, their bloodlust dimming when faced with the death of their comrades. But greed generally wins out over fear, and some brave man safe in the back of the crowd decided to spur the rest on.

"Keep going men! Remember, 10,000,000 ryou goes to the man who kills Tazuna, and a million apiece for the brats!"

The mob was close enough by now that Naruto could see the fire rekindle in their eyes. _Damn it,_ he thought crossly. A few explosions wouldn't deter these men, obsessed as they were with the promise of riches.

The men began to spread out, making explosions much less useful. Naruto signaled his team to switch to regular kunai, and between the three of them they managed to bring down another dozen of their attackers before they were surrounded. Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi put their backs together, kunai held outward in steady hands.

"Don't overextend yourselves," Naruto whispered hurriedly. "Don't waste chakra – only us taijutsu if you can get away with it. No need to go for the kill if it's a civilian, they probably won't fight once they're injured. Takeshi, warn us if you sense a shinobi in the crowd."

Takeshi only had time to nod before the first wave reached them. The first clash of steel against steel rang out over the bridge, and suddenly Naruto and his teammates were fighting for their lives.

There was no honor or mercy in the way they fought; no sense of fair play. They were up against overwhelming odds, and they couldn't afford to play by the rules; that is, if shinobi had any rules to begin with.

Takeshi and Akemi had the huge advantage of their sharingan eyes; to them, most of the burly, muscle-bound toughs looked like they were moving underwater. Akemi fought with an expression of cool disdain, making small, calculated movements to avoid all but the quickest attacks. Men soon learned better than to attack her straight on, as she would dodge and then aim straight for the hand holding the weapon. Early in the fight, many targeted her because they thought a girl would be the easiest prey, only to realize too late their mistake as they stared at the stumps where their hands used to be.

Takeshi fought with a vicious snarl etched permanently across his face, a twin to the one Hinamaru wore. The ninja hound fought next to his partner, darting out to snap at ankles before ducking back behind Takeshi. The half-blood Uchiha was finding it a strange experience fighting with the sharingan, and so wasn't nearly as adept at Akemi at judging swings and dodging them by narrow margins. Instead he relied on his enhanced speed, and left his enemies with deadly gashes along arms and legs. He aimed particularly for their hamstrings, and soon the area around Akemi and Takeshi was littered with a score of men too injured to retreat, forming a horrific natural barrier of the dying.

Naruto fought with a mechanical efficiency, light years away from his normal, exuberant style. He couldn't help but compare this desperate, breathless battle with the one against Sasuke. Here there was no banter, no wordplay or taunting followed by a tense exhibition of skill. Here was only slash and parry, parry and slash. A mistake meant death, and every successful strike brought forth a scream and a spray of blood from his victim.

Soon Naruto was spattered with the gore of his enemies, and the bridge underneath his feet grew slippery with blood. He kept part of his attention focused on his teammates, and realized after a few moments that they were growing tired. Their movements lacked a little of the fluidity from the start of the fight, and their breath started to hitch.

He himself felt fine, but he knew his team needed some breathing room.

"We're falling back to Tazuna," Naruto shouted, his voice just barely reaching his teammates over the sound of men screaming in rage, anger, and fear.

Takeshi pointed up to the sky, his quizzical eyes making it a question. Naruto nodded confirmation. The three Cadets launched themselves into the air, pushing chakra through their legs in order to gain more altitude. It was the same skill shinobi used to jump from tree to tree, just with a little extra power behind it.

Twenty feet above the ground, Naruto put out his hands and oriented himself towards the barricade. Akemi and Takeshi each placed one foot in one of Naruto's hands, and kicked off at the same time that he pushed. They flew over the mob and landed behind the defensive wall of shadow clones. The chakra they pushed through the feet sent Naruto flying in the other direction. He landed alone near the entrance to the bridge, with over a hundred thugs between him and his team.

"Get the blond one," someone shouted. "He controls the clones!"

Naruto set himself, waiting for their charge. When they were close he jumped again, rocketing into the air. When he reached the height of his jump he formed a shadow clone, and kicked off in the direction of the barricade. He repeated the trick twice more, bringing him all the way to Akemi and Takeshi without falling.

Takeshi patted him on the back, but didn't say anything. He and Akemi were taking deep breaths to repay their oxygen debt, trying to get their breathing back to normal.

Naruto signaled to the clones guarding Tazuna. "What's up, boss?" the lieutenant asked cheekily.

"We need some breathing room," Naruto replied. "Don't be reckless, just defend and buy us time to recover. Only strike if you're sure you won't get hit."

The clone saluted, and fifty Naruto clones advanced in a wedge formation. They were outnumbered almost two-to-one, but Naruto could see that the mob was advancing a little more cautiously this time around. Already more than fifty of them had fallen, and to three children at that.

"How you feeling, kid?" Tazuna asked from his position behind the barricade.

"I'm fine, old man," Naruto replied with a grin. "I'm better than those guys are, any way." He gestured to Gato's thugs, who were engaging Naruto's mini clone army.

For a second Naruto had a flashback to a show he'd seen once, about a Western style of fighting from thousands of years ago. Men would stand shoulder to shoulder, one holding a giant shield, while his partner fought with a short spear. It was called a shield wall, and relied on discipline and teamwork to overcome superior forces. Naruto wished he could outfit his clones like that. The shields would protect them from being dispelled, and an undisciplined force like Gato's thugs wouldn't stand a chance.

Well, it was no use wishing for what one didn't have. Naruto was just glad that for once, his clones were fighting cautiously. He only received a few of the sudden flashbacks that accompanied the death of one of his clones, bringing disorienting memories of being impaled by spears, or beheaded by a katana.

Then another clone dispelled, giving Naruto memories that brought a triumphant grin to his face.

"Why are you so happy?" Akemi demanded, out of breath and irritated at having trouble fighting amateurs.

"Because we're about to get reinforcements," Naruto replied with a knowing wink.

Takeshi looked at him blankly. "How? There's no way Konoha could have sent us help that fast."

"I never said it was shinobi. It seems a friend of ours decided he wants to be a hero. And he's found some friends."

_(One Hour Ago)_

_Inari sat on the dock, watching the waves lap gently and break against the wooden support beams. He was thinking hard, about a lot of things. Foremost among them was Naruto, and his unshakable confidence and love for his friends. Could Inari be that strong? Did he want to be?_

_Just then a shrill scream startled Inari out of his reverie. He was on his feet and running before he even knew what he was doing. He knew that voice._

"_Mother!"_

_On the walkway leading away from the house Inari found his mother. She was on her hands and knees, looking down at the wood underneath her. A purplish bruise was already forming on one cheek, courtesy of the armed man standing behind her. _

"_Up, bitch! Gato wants you alive, to make sure your father is cooperative. Providing he's still alive, of course."_

_Something inside of Inari snapped. His mother shouldn't look so weak, so defeated. It wasn't right. "Get away from my mother!" He ran at the thug, screaming defiance all the way._

_Gato's thug laughed at the sight of the angry child running at him, and hefted his sword. "Gato never said anything about sparing brats."_

"_Nooo!" Inari's mother wailed, her head snapping up once she heard Inari's voice. She threw herself in the path of the rusty scimitar, her eyes fixed on her son's face. Time slowed down, as Inari watched the blade continue inexorably towards his mother's unprotected back._

_There was a flash of yellow, and suddenly Naruto was between the thug and Tsunami. The blond Cadet held only a kunai, yet the giant scimitar wasn't budging._

_Tsunami's assailant roared with rage. "You little shrimp! I'll kill y-!"_

_His voice was cut off by the arrow that seemed to sprout from his right eye. Inari turned around in shock, to see another Naruto on the rooftop, a crossbow in hand._

_The second Naruto leaped off of the roof and landed lightly next to Inari. He grinned smugly at Inari and his mother, and hefted the crossbow proudly. "Never had one lesson."_

_The first Naruto smacked him in the back of the head, and turned to Tsunami. He offered his hand, which she took gratefully and used to get back on her feet. "What was all that crap about 'if Tazuna's still alive?'" the clone asked with concern._

"_That's right!" Tsunami cried. "That man said Gato was sending all of his men to kill Tazuna! Please, you have to help him!"_

"_Don't worry, ma'am," the first Naruto replied. "Boss is on it, and he's got all the rest of us with him. They'll take him down together."_

"_Together…" Inari whispered. His mind was still frozen in time, watching the curved blade arc through the air. He saw his mother's eyes, filled only with concern for him._

_Inari snapped his head back up, drawing the attention of both clones, and his mother._

"_You!" he said, pointing at the second clone, the one with the crossbow. "Is it hard to use that thing?"_

_The clone grinned, and handed the weapon over to Inari. "Nah," it said nonchalantly. "A baby could do it."_

"_Good." Inari hefted the crossbow, liking the weight of it in his hand. "Let's go help my grandfather."_

_Tsunami held out a hand. "Wait just a minute, Inari! Do you think I'd let you risk your life like that?"_

_The first clone raised his hand slightly, interjecting before Inari could protest. "This is his choice, ma'am. Everyone should be able to choose to defend the people they love. But I promise we'll keep him far enough away so that he can use his crossbow without getting attacked. We'll keep him safe, and get him away if it's too dangerous."_

"_I'm supposed to take your word on that? Not in a million years." Tsunami turned to the second clone. "Do you have a second crossbow where that came from?"_

"_Of course!" The clone scampered back to the house in search of the weapon._

_The first clone sighed and shook his head. "Enabler…"_

_(End Flashback)_

Akemi looked at Naruto with disgust written plainly on her face. "So you're telling me that our backup is a little kid and his mom? Not very inspiring, Naruto."

"Oh, did I forget to mention the part where they ran into the workers and the rest of the clones on their way back to town? And how Tsunami shamed them into turning back, by saying they were too scared to fight when a little kid and his mother weren't? The workers are seconds away, along with all of the clones I sent to escort them."

"Why not just send the clones in?" Akemi asked. "Wouldn't it be better to keep the workers out of the way?"

"I don't think so," Naruto replied. "Remember what Tazuna said about the bridge being a symbol for this country? I think this fight is the same thing. They need to stand up to Gato's thugs, even knowing they might get hurt. If they win here, they won't be afraid to stand up for themselves in the future."

Takeshi froze, every muscle in his body quivering. He sniffed hard, and paled a little. "That's all well and good, but we've got bigger problems. There are three shinobi underneath the bridge, practically below our feet."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "How did they get past my clones?"

Takeshi shook his head. "I have no clue, but they're there. It's definitely not Itachi, but that's all I can tell. I've never smelled them before."

"Wait…" Akemi said. "They're underneath us. The only things at ground level are the bridge supports."

The members of Squad 13 exchanged horrified glances. "They're going to blow the bridge!"

"We'll circle around and try to take them by surprise," Naruto declared. "They probably think we're still busy fighting Gato's army. Hand signs only from here on out." He pointed at Takeshi.

"You're in charge until we engage them."

"What?" Takeshi squawked. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one that can sense them. Keep us from falling into any traps, and let us know if we've been discovered. Once we start the attack, I'll take over."

Takeshi looked like he was about to protest, but Akemi put a hand on his arm. "You can do it, Takeshi. We believe in you."

The half-blood swallowed hard, but nodded and saluted to Naruto. "Ok. Here's what we'll do."

oOoOo

Tazuna's bridge was held up by massive support beams, which stuck out from earth and sea at even intervals, all along length of the half-completed structure. Right before the shore met the sea, there was one last beam that was embedded in earth rather than water. Clustered at the base of that support were three figures.

One was a young man with brown, spiky hair sticking out over his Iwa hitai-ite, crouched next to the metal pillar. He was focusing intently on a lump of putty-like substance strapped to the base of the bridge. His hands moved back in forth in strange patterns, generating a steady aura of orange chakra that seemed to soak into the putty, infusing it with its own inner light.

The two remaining figures were watching over his shoulder, with differing degrees of patience. One was another man, of a similar age to the first, though without the hita-ite that normally marked a shinobi of Iwagakure. He wore glasses, and had blond hair hanging down his neck and ending well below his shoulders. The third was a woman, slightly older than her teammates, with dark brown hair tied up in a bun, and two locks of hair framing her face on either side. She wore a tight, sleeveless dress, with bandages around her waist and thighs, and kept a sword strapped across her back.

"Hurry it up, Yorajiro," the blond Iwa shinobi snapped. "We've wasted enough time on this mission already. Let's get our reward and leave this piss-ant little country behind us."

Yorajiro didn't even look up from his task, his hands never pausing in their strange patterns. "Shut up, Jibachi," he replied absently. "I'm trying to work."

The woman let out a tinkling laugh, though the sound held little real mirth. "Perhaps you'd better keep your mouth shut. Yorajiro is the only person I actually need to accomplish this mission. Maybe when you can perform our village's kinjutsu, you can speak with the grown-ups. Until then, just play with your little insects."

Jibachi bristled, but only said, "yes, Katsumi-sensei."

They became silent once again, watching Yorajiro work, seemingly oblivious to the screaming and shouting happening on the bridge above their heads. Then a hail of shuriken came streaking at them from a stand of trees around fifty yards away.

Jibachi and the Iwa kunoichi dodged easily, while the earth around the kneeling Yorajiro rose up and took on the form of a golem, which kept the shuriken from striking his unprotected back. From out of the trees came Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi, taking up combat stances twenty yards from the Iwa shinobi.

"Gato warned us about you little squirts," the kunoichi said, sounding extremely amused. "I'd like nothing more than to cut little pieces off of you and listen to your screams. But Jibachi sensed you first, and so I thought it only fair he should get to kill you. Consider yourselves lucky; your deaths will be a little less gruesome than if I'd had my way."

"Worry about yourself, you old hag!" Naruto shouted. "We're elite Cadets from Konoha's Military Police, and we won't lose to anyone!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you stepped into my trap," Jibachi said smugly. "Did you think you could take us by surprise? My allies sensed you before you even reached those trees."

He made a single hand seal, and the ground beneath Squad 13's feet transformed, becoming a gooey yellow substance into which they sank up to their waists. A strong, sweet smell filled the air, making Naruto sniff even as he sank deeper.

"Is that… honey?"

Jibachi laughed maniacally. "It is honey! What you are seeing is the _Honey Quicksand Jutsu, _just one of the many techniques of the famous Kamizuru clan!"

"Now if only we had some toast," Akemi snorted, wriggling furiously but hopelessly against the thick substance. "Then we could have second breakfast."

"Only small minds scoff at the power of insects," Jibachi declared grandiosely. "Let me know if you think my next technique is also a joke. Oh, I forgot… you'll be dead!"

A hideous buzzing filled the air, as bees came pouring out from under Jibachi's sleeves in droves. They all had pieces of paper tied to their stingers, which were easily recongnizable as explosive tags. "You're sitting ducks for my _Bee Bombing jutsu! _Die, Konoha scum!"

The bees flew at the helpless Cadets, a storm of yellow and black carrying death through the air. The three genin were completely hidden from view by the insects when the first explosion rang out, triggering all of the rest of the explosive tags to detonate as well.

At the same time, Squad 13 surfaced from where they had been hiding underneath the water, on the other side of their opponents. Akemi and Naruto were already forming hand seals, and Takeshi and Hinamaru were sprinting to close the distance with the crouching shinobi at the base of the bridge support.

A solid stream of fire came from Akemi's open mouth, shooting in between Yorajiro and his two teammates. The jonin sensei jumped back, grabbing Jibachi by the back of his jacket and dragging him clear.

But Akemi's technique wasn't finished yet, because at that moment Naruto finished his hand seals. He too exhaled, sending out a gust of wind laced with chakra. It merged with Akemi's jutsu and the fire roared with renewed force. Akemi turned and swept the technique sideways, like a fireman with a flamethrower instead of a water hose.

Instead of jumping, the Iwa jonin sank into the earth. The fire passed over head harmlessly, but Jibachi wasn't so lucky. He tried to jump back and away, but Akemi angled the stream of fire upwards and enveloped the blond Iwa shinobi entirely in flames.

A horrible shriek ripped from the throat of the hideous creature caught in the flames, which cut off almost immediately. Naruto watched as the Iwa kunoichi began to swim through the earth as if it were water.

"Watch out, Takeshi!" Naruto shouted. "She's behind you!"

Takeshi, who was caught in a deadly struggle against the rock golem protecting Yorajiro, didn't reply. But he dodged one huge rocky arm, and pushed off from the golem's chest. Hinamaru did the same, and the boy and his hound flew over the ripple in the earth that was the jonin.

Naruto and his team set themselves, preparing to take on one of the strongest opponents they'd ever faced. Katsumi rose out of the ground, pulling a sword from the scabbard slung over her back. She gave it a few swings, making it whistle as it carved a path through the air.

"Well, now," she said, shooting a quick glance at the smoldering remains of her erstwhile teammate. "This is a surprise. I suppose those three Jibachi caught in his trap were shadow clones? I wouldn't have expected shinobi as young as you are to be able to use that technique. And hiding in the water was quite inspired. I actually didn't sense you until you broke the surface, since you were never in contact with earth. I congratulate you."

"You're outnumbered three to one, since your teammate is busy. If you surrender now, we'll let you live," Naruto called out. _Yeah, _he thought wryly, _like that's going to happen. This kunoichi looks like she enjoys using that sword a little too much._

"I am a jonin of Iwagakure," the kunoichi replied. "Surrender is a swear word in our vocabulary. As for Yorajiro, do you know why he isn't fighting? Because he's putting the finishing touches on a bomb that will destroy this entire bridge section. Whenever anyone looks at the twisted slabs of metal that were once a bridge, they will know the power of Iwagakure's kinjutsu!"

"I only need three more minutes, sensei," Yorajiro piped up. "Then we can leave the blast radius."

"Don't judge him for taking so long," Katsumi said with a mocking smile. "Only Deidara was ever capable of infusing solid objects with chakra instantaneously. And don't worry about the bridge; you'll be dead before it goes up in smoke, so it's really not your problem."

In three different spots around the Iwa jonin, the earth rose up to form a waterfall of soil and stone. They swept towards the Cadets at intervals, coming from different directions and forcing them to dodge quickly. The waterfalls weren't quick, but they were relentless and impervious to anything Naruto could think of to try and damage them. The very ground they were fighting on had become a death trap.

The next second Takeshi noticed a slight blur, and the jonin appeared behind him, her sword already humming through the air towards his neck. If Akemi hadn't been quick enough to shove him to one side, the sword would have taken off his head. Katsumi switched effortlessly to target Akemi, who would have died if Naruto didn't block the first strike with his kunai.

Katsumi used the momentum of her sword rebounding from the kunai, redirecting it in a second slash that cut deeply into Naruto's arm. Takeshi threw a handful of shuriken at her back, which distracted her enough for Naruto and Akemi to get beyond the reach of their opponent's sword.

_She's too fast, and none us have any skills with weapons. We can't set ourselves to take her out together because her earth waves will catch us. We need a new plan._

Naruto made the Cadet signal for retreat, meeting Takeshi's eyes and then looking at the water. He threw a smoke bomb, which exploded and blanketed the entire area with a thibk, black smog.

Naruto moved faster than he would have believed, reaching the water safely with Akemi and Takeshi. They waited for his orders, muscles tensed in case the jonin was following them.

"She's still in there," Takeshi said confidently. "But even if I can smell her, I don't think I could take her out on my own in that smoke."

"You won't have to," Naruto replied. "She's a professional, so all we have to do is make her fail this mission and she'll leave. We'll target the guy making the bomb."

"You're willing to bet our lives on that reasoning?" Akemi asked.

"It's not like we can walk away," Naruto answered. "Might as well try it my way, then if she's still fighting after we get the explosives expert we'll come up with a new plan."

Naruto turned to Takeshi. "Have you been practicing that clan technique you showed me?"

Takeshi nodded. "Sure, but it's not exactly inconspicuous. She'll see it coming for sure, and I don't think it's enough to take out a jonin."

"It's not for her, and you're not the one who'll use it," said Naruto. "All we have to do is keep the jonin busy for a second, as long as Hinamaru is up to snuff."

Comprehension dawned, bringing a smile to Takeshi's face. "Oh, Hinamaru can do it all right. Let's go."

At the same time the smoke cleared, revealing one angry kunoichi. "You know, I get tired of all this sneaking around."

"Says the old hag who hides in the ground like a mole!" Naruto ran in a wide arc, until the jonin was caught between him, Akemi, and Takeshi.

They charged as one, moving too quickly to be caught by the waves of earth, which were still prowling restlessly around the jonin. She stood her ground, unconcerned about their superior numbers.

What followed was the most mismatched taijutsu fight that Naruto had even been a part of. Akemi and Takeshi fought as a team, using their sharingan to keep from getting sliced apart. Naruto had no such advantage and was fighting alone, and soon his body was scored with dozens of little scratches from the sword. He was certain that the jonin could have killed him a few times already, but she seemed to enjoy playing with them.

Then she struck in earnest, stabbing Naruto through the shoulder. He let out of shout that had nothing to do with the blade sticking out of his body.

"Now!" He twisted to the right, intentionally digging the sword deeper and pulling the jonin off balance. Akemi and Takeshi attacked viciously, but she was able to fend them off with one hand, and some powerful kicks.

"Go Hinamaru!" Takeshi threw a pill with his free hand, which Hinamaru gulped down in mid-air. There was a pop, and suddenly a second Takeshi stood where Hinamaru had been. "_Gatsuga_!"

Hinamaru became a spinning drill, driving straight towards Torajiro. "No!" Katsumi yelled. The Iwa kunoichi yanked her sword out, sending a bright gout of blood from Naruto's shoulder. She melted into the ground and shot towards the explosives expert, but it was too late. Hinamaru's jutsu tore through the guardian rock golem like a bullet through paper, and continued on to drive point-blank through the young Iwa shinobi. It was a gruesome sight, as Hinamaru tore through his midsection and covered the ground and the metal beam in a burst of blood.

The orange glow faded from the explosive putty, and it crumbled into dust before their eyes. Hinamaru reappeared with a pop, blood splashed liberally over his white fur. With considerable agility he evaded the ripple in the ground, and ran over to take his place next to Takeshi.

Naruto stepped forward, between his team and the jonin, one hand pressed to the wound in his shoulder. He was losing blood quickly, and needed this to work.

"Your mission is a failure," he called out loudly. The Iwa kunoichi rose from the ground, hatred etched into her features.

"I suppose I'll just have to kill you then," she snarled.

Naruto laughed. It had a harsh, ringing sound and it seemed false to his own ears, but he prayed it would come off as confident. "You never had a chance. Were you not listening to our clones before? We're the best Cadets in Konoha, and we survived an attack by Uchiha Itachi, one of the most feared missing-nin in the world. This whole time I've been taking it easy on you, because I didn't want to activate my trump card."

Naruto focused hard, bringing up the image of Akemi bleeding out, and Hansuke motionless on the ground. Just enough to feel his head begin to ache, and for his vision to gain a reddish tinge. With his enhanced senses he heard the jonin's muffled gasp, as she felt the spike in his chakra, and saw his pupils begin to change.

"I'm the jinchuriki of Konohagakure, and if you continue this fight I'll unleash the power of Kyubi no Kitsune."

The jonin's face paled, but remained resolute. "You think I'm afraid to die? I will carry out my duty to Iwa!"

With great effort Naruto shrugged off the remnants of the Kyubi's chakra, his eyes returning to normal. "I don't doubt your courage, but fighting here won't serve Iwa. Return to your village, and share the news of your comrades' death. They died bravely, trying to complete a mission."

Katsumi snarled, and then, finally, sheathed her sword. "I won't forget this!" she vowed.

Then she was gone, shooting off in the direction of the docks. Naruto waited until Takeshi motioned that she was gone. Then he let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was close."

Akemi looked at him with worry in her eyes. "Would you really have released the Kyubi?"

"Of course not!" Naruto replied instantly. "We could have taken her on our own." But inside, he wasn't so sure. And behind that uncertainty lay a truth that he wasn't sure he wanted to look at too closely. Calling up the Kyubi's chakra had been almost… too easy. As if it had been lying in wait, anticipating his need. Naruto didn't want to think about what that might mean.

"Come on," Takeshi urged. "Let's go back up and see how Tazuna and the workers are faring."

Naruto waved a hand in dismissal. "They're fine. I've been keeping track through the memories of my shadow clones. There's only about sixty of Gato's men still alive, and they're securely tied up."

Squad 13 made its way to the entrance of the bridge, gingerly nursing their various cuts and gashes, and, in Naruto's case, stab wounds. A happy sight met their eyes. Workers were cheering and throwing tools in the air, hugging anyone and everyone as they celebrated their victory. Gato's men looked ridiculous, tied up with rope and left out to dry, like bales of hay in a field. Naruto's clones were just as bad as the workers, turning handstands and pumping fists into the air exuberantly.

Naruto led his team up to Tazuna, who was jumping about like a child, lifting Inari up into the air triumphantly.

"Naruto!" Inari cried. "We did it!"

"We absolutely did, Inari." Naruto grinned at the younger boy. "It's better to be a hero, isn't it?"

"Right!"

Tsunami looked a little alarmed. "Just as long as you don't make a habit out of it," she cautioned.

Hinamaru's sharp bark broke through the sounds of merry-making, followed by Takemi's ragged shout.

"It's Itachi! He's coming closer!"

At the same time Naruto saw a white blanket of fog rushing in from the sea, far too solid to be natural.

Naruto was so surprised there was only room for one thought in his mind. _Oh shit._

All across the bridge the exclamations of joy became shouts of fear. Squad 13 barely had enough time to form a circle around Tazuna, before they were enveloped in the mist. The cheerful sun disappeared as though it had never been, turning the bridge into a silent, white nightmare.

Naruto strained every sense, to no avail. He was blind and alone, unable to communicate with his teammates without giving himself away.

"Naruto, behind y-" Takeshi's voice cut off abruptly, at the same time that Naruto felt a kunai placed against his neck.

"Got him," said a rough, gravelly voice by his ear. Naruto didn't struggle, knowing how little pressure was required to pierce an artery.

"I, as well," came a feminine-sounding voice.

"Me three." Naruto recognized that smug voice from their first battle; it was Sasuke. Then that left only…

"It would seem all targets have been detained. Zabuza, please lift the mist."

"Whatever," the voice behind Naruto replied. "But I'm nobody's lackey."

"Hence the 'please,' Zabuza. This conversation will go smoother if we can all see each other."

The whiteness dissolved quickly, allowing Naruto to see the disheartening scene before him. Akemi had been captured by Sasuke, while Takeshi was at the mercy of a shinobi with long, dark hair, whose gender Naruto couldn't discern. And in the middle of the triangle formed by Squad 13 and their captors was Tazuna, held hostage by none other than Itachi himself.

A wall of ice separated the group of eight from everyone else on the bridge. There was no hope.

"We could kill you," Itachi began abruptly, somehow drawing Naruto's attention even more than the kunai currently held at his neck, or the strong arm pinning his hands behind his back. "I say that now because I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. I have no reason to lie to you – if I wanted to cause you harm, my colleagues and I would leave your corpses for the crows to pick at."

Naruto fought the urge to swallow. With that kunai right below his Adam's apple, it wouldn't be his best idea ever.

"You're not going to kill us? Why not?"

Itachi directed his gaze at Naruto, ignoring Akemi's hate-filled eyes. "I suppose it would be more accurate to say I won't kill you _yet_. But as for Tazuna the bridgebuilder, he has nothing to fear from me. Gato was the one who contracted me to kill him, but then Gato invalidated our agreement by sending an assassin to kill me."

The shinobi keeping hold of Naruto chuckled darkly. "Needless to say, _that _didn't work out too well."

Itachi shot Naruto's captor a dark look. "Zabuza, this is delicate enough without your interjections."

"Bite me, Itachi," Zabuza shot back.

"Anyway," Itachi resumed, turning back to Naruto, "the resolution of this story is that I killed Gato, and consider all business between him and myself concluded. Tazuna is free to build as many bridges as he wants, and I will not get in his way. The fact that he is still alive ought to be enough to convince you of my goodwill."

Naruto was getting confused. "If you're not going to kill him, then why the hell are you here, holding us at knifepoint?"

"Are you stupid, Naruto?" Akemi spat. "Of course he's going to kill us, so we don't bring word back to Madara that he's still alive." She rolled her eyes at him expressively.

It took Naruto a second to understand what she was trying to say, but then it hit him. _The messenger hawk! _Akemi was trying to plant the idea that they hadn't been able to get word to Konoha, and lull Itachi into staying in the area until reinforcements came.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately from Squad 13's perspective, Itachi shook his head. "Actually, that's the exact opposite of what I want to do. I want Madara to know I'm here. Which he won't if I kill you, since we killed the messenger hawk you sent out yesterday."

Naruto's heart sank to hear that, but rose a little as it seemed that Itachi might let them live.

"I am going to let you live," Itachi said again, "because I want you to deliver a message to Madara. Tell him that he is a tyrant and a murderer, and I will not stop until the entire world knows him for what he is. Tell him that the day of vengeance is coming, and vengeance will wear the face of Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi released Tazuna, which was apparently the signal for the other three missing-nin to follow suit. The shinobi Itachi had named Zabuza formed a complicated set of seals, and the bridge was once again shrouded in mist. Itachi's voice floated all around them, emotionless and cold, so cold it sent shivers down Naruto's spine.

"And while you're at it, you might want to ask Madara who really killed Shisui."

When the mist cleared, the ice was gone along with all four of the missing-nin. Naruto rubbed at his throat absently, staring at his teammates in shock. It seemed like a dream, and if it weren't for the absolute silence that still reigned on the bridge, Naruto might not have believed that anything had happened.

oOoOo

Silence hung between the two brothers, filled with the things neither of them wanted to say. Finally Sasuke couldn't bear it any longer.

"We shouldn't have left them alive. The element of surprise was our greatest weapon, and now it's gone."

Itachi turned away, tacitly acknowledging the point. Sasuke pushed on, unwilling to let the conversation end there.

"What do you think you'll accomplish? Do you think Madara will say to them, 'Oh, I killed Shisui,' and then they'll come running to join our cause?"

"I planted a seed," Itachi replied. "They're not stupid, they know they were at my mercy. They will wonder why I spared them, and that will lead them to ask questions. Maybe they won't believe the answers, but doubt and uncertainty will grow. I planted a seed, and with enough time the roots will crack any foundation."

"And if they don't?" Sasuke demanded. "Akemi was my friend, too. But you were the one who taught me that we don't have friends anymore. We put that behind us. Can you kill Akemi and her friends if they fight for Madara? If the answer isn't yes, then what the hell have we been doing all these years?"

Itachi turned back to Sasuke, resolution in his dark eyes. "I didn't kill Akemi when I had the chance. Call it weakness, call it respect for her brother and my best friend, call it whatever you want. But know this: once Zabuza is secure as Mizukage, Kirigakure and Gato Company will set their sights on Konoha. And on that day, anyone who fights alongside Madara will die. You have my word on that."

oOoOo

There was no conversation between the members of Squad 13 as they made their way back to Konoha. They were each trapped in their own thoughts, and despite the similarity of their reflections they didn't feel comfortable broaching the subject of Itachi just yet.

Part of Naruto was trying to put off such thoughts, determined to focus on only the positive parts of this mission as long as he could. And surprisingly, there were some positives. Gato was truly dead; a townsman had confirmed this after seeing the corpse, and the Land of Waves had rejoiced.

After the completion of the bridge, Tazuna had even gone so far as to name it after Naruto.

"You showed this country what it means to be a hero," he'd said. "Without you and your team, we might have never learned how to stand up for ourselves, and fight to protect what we love. I hope that whenever anyone sees the Great Naruto Bridge, they'll know the tale of your bravery."

But behind those few spots of sunshine, the darkness lurked, waiting. Naruto was filled with conflicting thoughts, all centered around the dark-haired shinobi with sorrowful eyes.

_Why didn't he kill us? _Naruto couldn't help repeating once again. _He let us go. _What could have prompted such mercy, or such hatred of the Hokage? What lay behind his accusations against Madara? Naruto didn't have a clue, but he knew one thing for sure.

_I'm going to find out._

**End of Part Two**

**A/N: **And that's it for the Land of Waves! Next chapter we'll see how four years together in Suna have changed the Sand siblings and the Konoha orphans. Naruto will ask some hard questions, and he might not like the answers he's given. And Kakashi will learn that the way of the ninja is a hard path to follow.

Now it's time for some polite begging: please, if you're following this story with some small degree of anticipation, take a second to open up the little review box and say something. Some writers are good enough that they write for themselves; well, I'm not that motivated. It's the reviews that inspire me, and knowing people are enjoying my story is what makes me keep writing. So thanks to all those who've reviewed, and to those of you who haven't, do it!

Anyway, see you all next time!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **My apologies to all of the supporters of the Missing-Nin Alliance, but I'm sorry to inform you that Itachi and friends will be operating off-stage during this arc. This one's strictly Konoha and Suna, like the Land of Waves arc was strictly Konoha and Wave Country. Never fear, the awesomeness that is Team Itachi will return.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters appearing in this story.

**Part 3: Teachers and Students**

**Chapter 13**

Night was falling in the Suna desert, and as far as Urahara Mitsuke was concerned, it couldn't arrive fast enough. Once the sun set behind the dunes in the distance, he could stop worrying as much about pursuit. He could lift the area genjutsu that made the caravan he was protecting look like just another expanse of sand, and could urge his employers to greater speeds.

For the entire voyage, Mitsuke had prayed that he hadn't made a mistake in taking on this job. He was about to throw away an entire life in service to Sunagakure, and risk retribution at the hands of the Kazekage. But the payoff was worth it. Once this caravan left the desert and crossed the mountains into Earth country, he'd be a rich man. The weapons carried by the merchants were valuable, but not nearly so much as the information they'd gathered while selling their wares in Sunagakure. The merchants were actually Iwa spies, infiltrators with years of experience in covert operations.

Mitsuke, himself an expert on disguise and infiltration, had recognized them and confronted them. Rather than expose them, he'd offered to help them escape from Suna through the desert, using his own knowledge of the land to decrease their travel time. Once the shinobi reached Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage would reward Mitsuke with enough money to support him for the rest of his life. With the daimyo of Wind Country passing over Suna for missions, it wasn't likely that Mitsuke would have ever earned enough to retire while working for the Kazekage.

His defection to Iwa was a good business move, but it required that he first get the caravan safely out of the desert. So Mitsuke held his genjutsu in place, and welcomed the approaching darkness. Each hour made it less likely that they would be discovered and followed.

A light wind kicked up, picking up loose grains of sand and scattering them around the covered wagons passing through the desert. At first Mitsuke didn't think anything of it, since it was fairly common to experience gusts in the desert, up to and including the deadly sandstorms that stripped the flesh off of anyone foolish to venture into the desert unprotected. But the wind kept growing stronger, until it whipped around with enough force to set Mitsuke's clothes flapping against his skin.

By the time Mitsuke realized that the wind was localized in a loose circle around the caravan, it was too late. The wind became a miniature cyclone, trapping the wagons in a vortex of sand so thick it completely destroyed visibility for those inside. Too late, Mitsuke sensed the chakra signatures of hostile shinobi.

"We're under attack!" he yelled-or tried to. He meant to open his mouth, but for some reason his body wouldn't obey the commands sent by his mind. Seconds later the wind died down, and the air around the caravan cleared. The waning light revealed the wrecked skeletons of five wagons, with all of the disguised Iwa shinobi clustered in a defensive circle in the middle of the wreckage. Nine masked figures stood around Mitsuke and the Iwa shinobi, surrounding them in a loose circle. The reason for Mitsuke's complete paralysis became clear when he saw the shadow stretching from one of the masked figures, completely enveloping his own shadow and holding him fast.

If Mitsuke had been able to move, he would have cried out with fear. He knew what those masks meant. His treachery had been discovered after all, and the Kazekage had sent his mysterious secret police, the elite task force known only as Sandstorm.

During the last year rumors had started growing about the group. It was said that no one ever saw their faces, but that they were led by Sabaku no Gaara, the demon of Sunagakure. They were supposed to act like the ANBU of Konoha, answering only to the Kazekage and policing the village. If Sandstorm agents were here, there was no hope. He would be brought before the Kazekage and executed.

The quick, desperate battle between the outnumbered Iwa shinobi and the Sandstorm agents distracted Mitsuke from thoughts of his impending doom. The Iwa shinobi were strong, but from the outset they didn't have a chance. The very sand beneath their feet came alive, trapping their ankles and holding them fast.

One shinobi tried to escape through the sand, fusing with the earth using the Earth Style technique favored by Iwagakure. Immediately the sand he sank into hardened and became a shell, which then imploded with deadly force. From where he stood, rooted to the spot by the shadow jutsu, Mitsuke saw the burst of blood that drenched the sand.

After that the Iwa shinobi didn't try to escape through the earth, and they couldn't jump away from danger since their feet were bound. A black cloud issued from one of the masked Suna shinobi, and the air filled with a deafening buzzing sound. After a confused second, Mitsuke realized with horror that the cloud was composed of winged insects, which descended to form black cocoons over the heads of every single Iwa shinobi.

When the insects flew back to the Sandstorm agent that had released them, Mitsuke half expected the Iwa shinobi to be headless. But instead they just slumped to their knees, unconscious.

One of the Suna shinobi to Mitsuke's left spoke up.

"Is that all of them?"

A harsh, but young-sounding voice from behind Mitsuke answered. "Yeah, that's all of them. Akamaru has all of their scents from the goods they sold back in the village, and none are missing."

"Excellent," the first shinobi said. "Let's get them all back to the village."

Across from Mitsuke, the shinobi who held him with the shadow jutsu shifted slightly. Mitsuke found himself mirroring the same movement exactly.

"Can I release him now?" Mitsuke's captor asked in a bored-sounding voice. "It's troublesome to keep up the Shadow Possession jutsu for this long."

"By all means," said the leader. "I doubt he'll try to escape after seeing what happened to the first Iwa shinobi."

Perhaps Mitsuke might have tried to escape, since he was fairly certain that the only thing awaiting him in Sunagakure was a swift death. But before his captor released his hold on Mitsuke's shadow, the sand around Mitsuke's feet rose up and buried him to the waist. Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to make a break for it.

The Sandstorm captain motioned to the shinobi next to him, who stepped forward.

"Due to chakra exhaustion, the spies will be unconscious for a day at least, but the Kazekage will want to interrogate the traitor immediately after we return. Can you keep him contained until we get back to the village?"

"Of course." The second shinobi twitched his fingers, which glowed blue and sprouted chakra strings that ran into the ground. The sand holding Mitsuke softened and fell away, but at the same time a hole opened in the sand and a giant wooden puppet emerged, controlled by the blue strings of chakra coming from the shinobi's fingertips. The front of the puppet's enormous stomach was a trapdoor, which opened to reveal a cavernous space inside. Mitsuke barely had time to scream before the puppet enveloped him. The stomach panel closed with a snap, and then everything went black.

oOoOo

Gaara stood at ease in Baki's office, flanked by his eight closest friends and comrades.

"Report." As always, Baki's voice was clipped and commanding.

"The threat has been neutralized," Gaara responded immediately, assuming the same businesslike tone. "As suspected, the merchants were spies from Iwa. Urahara Mitsuke defected and was acting as a native guide to help them pass through the desert. We caught up to them several miles away from the border, and apprehended them with little difficulty. No casualties on our side, one on theirs. Urahara is with the Interrogation Squad right now, and the Iwa shinobi are awaiting trial, though they won't regain consciousness for some time."

Baki looked like he wanted to smile, but kept his face impassive. "How did you catch up to them? The Kazekage dispatched a squad of special jonin as well, but they still haven't returned."

Gaara heard a few chuckles from behind the masks of his teammates. He would have laughed himself, but that would be unprofessional and unbecoming his acting Captain of Sandstorm. Instead, he merely smiled, knowing that the expression was invisible behind his mask.

"We took a few minutes before departing to find some of the weapons they sold. That gave us their scent, which led us straight to them. They were disguised by an A-rank genjutsu, but it didn't fool our tracker."

Baki nodded approval, which coming from him was high praise. "All of you, well done. This latest mission will raise Sandstorm's stock with the Council tremendously."

Gaara couldn't wait until the ancient scarecrows on the Council received word of this mission. Even after they'd reluctantly agreed to call off the assassination attempts on Gaara, they hadn't been happy about the orphans from Konoha receiving shelter. No matter that they all soon began to show their worth as shinobi. They were foreign, so the Council automatically distrusted them and believed they couldn't be of any use.

Sandstorm had begun as a necessary fiction, a way of hiding the identities of the Konoha orphans from the villagers and even most shinobi. They lived together in a separate compound from other shinobi, and wore masks whenever they went out into public. Baki was their sensei and commander, their interface with the chain of command. Very recently the Kazekage had begun testing them by giving them more and more difficult missions, even though the six Konoha shinobi as well as his three children were still only genin.

Eventually Sandstorm became more than just a name and a mask, as the Kazekage realized that the nine-man squad (or six-man and three-woman squad) was actually very effective. They became extremely popular with the villagers, who built up the mysterious masked agents of Sandstorm to an almost mythical status.

Six months ago the Council had reluctantly accepted the Kazekage's vote to make Sandstorm an official subsection of the Military, answerable only to the Kazekage, but remained skeptical about their true potential. They were only children, after all.

However, it would be almost impossible for the Council to write this mission off as beginner's luck. Nine genin had managed to capture six upper-level shinobi, and had made a team of special jonin look like idiots while they were at it. This was a true conquest for Sandstorm, and a feather in Baki's cap since he was the shinobi in charge.

"I'll notify you when the Kazekage sends word," Baki said. "Dismissed."

Gaara came to attention and saluted, along with the other eight members of his team. They left the office silently, moving with a self-assured grace not normally seen in shinobi of their years.

The genin ghosted over the rooftops and rock faces of the village, drawing spontaneous cheers whenever they passed children playing in the street.

"You know," Kankuro observed, keeping pace next to Gaara, "a few years ago they would have been screaming in fear if you passed by."

"It's the mask," Gaara said wryly. "It hides my ugly face."

He wouldn't admit it to Kankuro, but every cheer that reached his ears gave him a warm feeling in his chest. Before the orphans from Konoha had arrived, before Jiraiya had performed the second seal on Shukaku, Gaara would never have imagined anyone actually looking up to him. Now he was respected, and even loved. The eight genin running with him through the streets of Suna would die for him, as he would for them. Rather than being a menace to society, he was one of the shields keeping the villagers from harm. Gaara liked being a shield. It was what his powers were suited for, and it felt right.

When they reached the compound Gaara took his mask off, and left it on the rack by the front door. The others followed suit with sighs of relief.

"_So _glad to finally get that stupid thing off my face!" Kiba declared happily. "It makes everything smell weird."

"I'm just glad to feel air against my face," Ino responded, giving her blond ponytail a flip. "It gets so damned stuffy in those things."

After putting her own mask down, Sakura rounded on Kiba. "It's our turn to make dinner today, so go wash your hands! You can spar with Gaara some other time."

Kiba scowled, but went into the kitchen with good grace. The genin of Sandstorm were used to fending for themselves. They prepared their own meals on a rotating schedule, each three-person squad in charge of one meal. Sakura, Kiba, and Shino were in charge of dinner that day, but Shino had long ago been exempted from cooking. The others were just a little uncomfortable about getting bugs in their food. Shino had been offended for a while, but since he hated cooking he hadn't protested too loudly.

Shikamaru spoke up next. "Hey guys, mind if we take over the dojo until dinner? There's a few formations that Ino, Choji and I want to practice."

He spoke to the entire room, but mostly to Gaara. The genin had long since established their chain of command, and it had been Gaara who was voted the leader. He was younger than Temari and Kankuro, and he wasn't as smart as Shikamaru, but no one argued that he was the best choice (well, Kiba had argued, until Ino and Sakura beat him up a little). Gaara was a good leader, and knew how to use the strengths of his teammates to the fullest. They all knew he would never ask them to do anything he wouldn't do himself, and his greater experience with life-and-death situations made him well suited to command.

"Yeah, that's fine," Gaara answered. "We'll train after dinner."

Sakura followed Kiba into the kitchen, while Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino went off in the direction of the dojo. It was a large gymnasium with a floor of packed sand, the walls specially reinforced with chakra to withstand even the most destructive jutsus.

Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and Shino went into the recreation room, which was just an open room with couches and a tv. The tv was broken and they'd never bothered to replace it, so the rec room was really just a place to rest and chat after a mission.

Kankuro flopped down on one of the couches, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Shit, I'm tired! We really had to haul ass today."

"It was worth it," Temari responded, grabbing a seat on a neighboring couch. "Now the Council _has _to see how useful we are."

Gaara and Shino sat down on either side of Temari, finally allowing themselves to relax.

"That's not necessarily true," Shino pointed out in his cool, rational tone. "If there's one thing we've learned, it takes more than a little proof to convince the Council of anything. We should just be grateful that the Kazekage is so determined to use us to the full extent of our abilities."

"Speaking of Father," Kankuro interrupted, turning his head to face Gaara, "what's he up to? Any news?"

Gaara rarely saw the Kazekage except when receiving a mission, but only that afternoon he'd delivered the traitor Mitsuke to his father's study. He'd taken the opportunity to ask a few questions. Delicate questions, of course, because it wouldn't do to aggravate the Kazekage. He was prone to bursts of rage, especially when discussing sensitive topics like his relationship to the daimyo of Wind Country.

"It's the same news as always," Gaara replied. "The daimyo is still outsourcing work to Konoha. We're low on funds, and due to the recent tension with Iwa the price of imports is rising. The Kazekage mentioned that we might need to put the villagers on half-rations if this continues."

"What are his plans for Konoha?" Shino asked.

Gaara gave the bug-user a worried glance. It was the one issue where he wasn't entirely on the same page as his team. Despite all of the years he, Temari, and Kankuro had spent training alongside the genin from Konoha, they would never be able to truly understand their quest for revenge. He would fight with them every step of the way, but it was disconcerting to realize that on some deep level, six of his friends wanted nothing more than to go to war. And despite what the Kazekage might say, Gaara wasn't sure that war was the answer.

"Don't repeat this," Gaara warned, looking at the other three genin in the room, "unless it's to the rest of the team. But unless something changes in the next few months, I think it might be war. The Kazekage had an envoy from Otogakure in a few weeks ago, and Baki told me the Council has been meeting behind closed doors. Unless relations with the daimyo change drastically, the Kazekage may choose to strike against the Hokage."

Shino cocked his head slightly, which was the only outward sign of his confusion. "Why haven't we heard anything from Jiraiya? He would be in the forefront of any offensive against Konoha, and he wouldn't keep news like that from us."

"It's possible that Jiraiya doesn't know anything yet," Gaara answered. "It's no secret that the Kazekage despises him, even though Jiraiya was the one who sealed away Shukaku's voice, and brought you all to Suna. Maybe he's trying to keep the Sannin out of the loop, at least until the last possible moment."

Temari laughed abruptly, causing her blond hair to bounce up and down. "Father can try, but he won't get one over on Jiraiya. That old pervert will sniff out any potential plans before the Council's even thought them up."

"But he can't do anything if he's not here," Kankuro pointed out, still reclined in his couch. "If he wants to have any say if the Council's war plans, he's going to need to get his ass back here. What's he even doing right now, anyway?"

"He's in Konoha," Shino replied, "or that's where he said he was going. When he went he told us he'd be bringing back a present. I surmise that when he returns, it will be with reinforcements."

_He'd better hurry back, _Gaara thought, but left the words unsaid. He didn't need to burden his teammates with his fears. But the Council needed Jiraiya's experience in fighting against the Uchiha, and Gaara didn't trust his father to acknowledge that fact. _Whatever it is you're doing, Jiraiya, please make it fast!_

oOoOo

Madara sat at his desk on the top floor of the Hokage's Tower, writing a very important letter. He had many underlings to take care of the day-to-day issues of running a shinobi village, but some things were just too important to entrust to anyone else. Some rulers would dismiss writing letters as beneath them, Madara knew the power of the written word all too well. More wars were won with brush and ink than sword or bow.

He was interrupted by a knock at the door, heralding the entrance of one of his guards. The young Uchiha, newly promoted to chunin and still near hero-worshiping Madara, looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

"It's… Naruto's squad, Hokage-sama," the guard managed to say at last. "They've returned from Wave Country."

Madara cocked one eyebrow at the chunin quizzically. "Don't you mean Hansuke's squad?"

The chunin could only shake his head, too frightened to speak. Madara felt his stomach sink. Before he had a chance to collect his thoughts, Naruto entered the study, followed by Akemi and Takeshi.

They saluted and stood at attention, waiting for Madara, who was having the extremely unpleasant sensation that he'd miscalculated horribly. If Hansuke wasn't here, that could only mean…

"At ease, Cadets. Report."

Naruto's hand dropped to his side, and he met Madara's gaze with eyes that were full of sadness, and another emotion that Madara couldn't discern. Was it fear, or… could it be suspicion?

"Hansuke-sensei is dead," Naruto began, the bluntness of his tone underscoring the sincere grief he felt. "He gave his life protecting us from Uchiha Itachi."

There was a pause, during which Madara felt curiously calm. Then his brain processed the words, and it was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water in his face. Never, in almost a century of life, had he ever been so taken aback.

"WHAT?"

Naruto and his teammates took a step back at the killing intent that suddenly filled the room. Naruto paled, but didn't look away. He continued resolutely, forcing Madara to calm down in order to hear the rest of the report.

"Uchiha Itachi was working for Gato, a rich man who practically controlled Wave Country. Tazuna was trying to build a bridge connecting the island to the mainland, which would have broken Gato's monopoly on shipping. Gato sent Itachi and Sasuke to kill Tazuna, not realizing that they were Uchiha. We fought them, and barely escaped with our lives."

Madara's mind was racing. How was this possible? Could it really be a coincidence that after all this time, Itachi had resurfaced and come face-to-face with Naruto? No, it was impossible… But who had known about the mission? Only himself, Hansuke, Naruto's squad, and Tazuna.

"Are you saying that Tazuna was Itachi's target? He didn't know that you were part of Tazuna's protection detail?"

Naruto shook his head firmly. "I'm sure he didn't know. He didn't make much effort to attack me, leaving his brother to deal with the three of us while he took on Hansuke-sensei."

Madara felt like he was grasping at straws in a windstorm. He needed to get the whole story quickly, so that he could figure out what was the best course of action to take.

"How did you escape? Did Hansuke buy you enough time to run away?"

Naruto eyes looked at the floor without seeing anything, and Madara knew his son was back in Wave Country, reliving the battle.

"We were fighting Sasuke together," Naruto began, his voice unusually subdued. "He was holding us off easily, until Takeshi activated his sharingan."

Madara looked at the half-Inuzuka Cadet in surprise. Naruto went on.

"At that point we realized Hansuke was dead, and Cadet Akemi bravely took on Itachi to try and buy us time to escape."

Akemi's startled gasp of surprise did not go unnoticed by Madara. No doubt Naruto was changing the story just a little to reflect better on his teammate. But that wasn't as important as hearing the resolution of this story.

"Then Itachi injured Akemi, and I… I unconsciously tapped into the Kyubi's chakra."

There was a sharp _crack_, as Madara's clenched fist exerted too much pressure for the desk to handle. The wooden desk-top split, sending papers flying to the floor.

"You WHAT?"

"I tapped into the Kyubi's chakra," Naruto repeated, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "I don't remember much of what happened after, but Cadet Takeshi told me after that I managed to take Itachi by surprise, and left him with an injury on his leg. But Akemi was bleeding out and there were more shinobi on the way, so after Takeshi managed to get me back to my senses we retreated, using my shadow clones to cover our retreat."

"At which time," Madara said, holding his anger in check by keeping his tone icily calm, "you returned immediately to Konoha."

Naruto gave his head a curt shake. "Negative. At that time, I exercised my authority as acting Captain and decided to remain in Wave Country as Tazuna's protection detail. I sent a message to Konoha for reinforcements, including Itachi's last known location."

"There are two things wrong with that picture," Madara replied, wishing his desk was whole so he could break it again. "First, you had no obligations to continue that mission. Tazuna lied to us about the level of danger he was facing. If I had been there, I would have killed him myself. Second, it was not your duty to capture Itachi. It was your duty to get yourself and your team out of there alive."

Naruto bowed his head, though Madara detected the stubborn light in his eyes. "I understand, Hokage-sama. I only ask that as the orders were mine, the punishment should be mine as well. Akemi and Takeshi had no choice but to follow my lead."

"That is only proper," Madara responded. "Now explain to me why, if you indeed sent a message for reinforcements as you claim, I received no such message?"

"Itachi intercepted the message. We found that out the next day, when he came to the bridge."

By now, Madara had enough control of himself not to show any outward signs of his distress. But it was close.

He listened carefully while Naruto detailed the fight against Gato's thugs, and then against the team of Iwa shinobi. He was distantly impressed at their strategy while defeating the jonin, and mildly horrified to hear how easily Naruto could draw on the Kyubi's chakra. Then Naruto reached the point when Itachi made his reappearance.

"…And so, we were completely at his mercy," Naruto concluded. "But he let us live, and told us to give you a message."

Naruto seemed to gather his courage, and met his adoptive father's gaze once again. "He said to tell you that you're a tyrant, and that he won't rest until the world knows the truth. He also told us to ask you who really killed Uchiha Shisui."

_Damn you, Itachi! _Even from miles away, the idealistic Uchiha managed to be a thorn in Madara's side. He was never one to be predictable, and now he was coming at Madara from an angle he hadn't even anticipated.

_It won't work, you traitorous bastard. I won't let you turn my son against me! _Madara thought quickly, then framed his words carefully. He could tell from the tone of Naruto's voice that Itachi's mercy had affected him deeply. He wasn't outright hostile, but the traces of suspicion were there.

"Naruto, you must understand that Itachi is a master at manipulating people. And that's what he did to you. He didn't spare you because he's innocent; in fact, it's quite the opposite. He spared you because if he had killed you, he would have died as well."

"What?" Naruto clearly hadn't been expecting that.

Madara nodded. "That's right," he said, sincerity oozing from his voice. "If you had died then, with the Kyubi's chakra so close to the surface, it would have broken free entirely. After fighting you once, he knew you were the Kyubi's container, and knew what would happen if he decided to kill you. It would be suicide. The unleashed Kyubi would kill not only him, but everyone around for miles. So he let you go, but not before trying to turn you against me."

Madara could practically see the wheels turning in Naruto's mind. "And Shisui…"

"A complete lie," Madara assured Naruto.

In his mind's eye Madara saw the young Uchiha prodigy, who had once been second only to Itachi in ability. After living through Madara's Tsukuyomi something in his mind had snapped. He'd been nothing more than a living vegetable, incapable of moving so much as a finger, let alone fighting for the clan. Madara had decided that although it was wasteful, Shisui could serve his clan better dead than alive. He had smothered the boy with a pillow, and given him an honorable burial in the clan graveyard.

"Uchiha Shisui died while confronting Itachi. He knew Itachi sympathized with the Third Hokage, and tried to stop him from defecting. But Itachi killed him in cold blood, and then kidnapped his brother Sasuke and ran. No doubt Sasuke has since been completely brainwashed by his brother."

Madara watched Naruto closely, but saw no signs of disbelief. "You were incredibly lucky, Naruto," Madara said after a moment. "If Itachi hadn't experienced the Kyubi's chakra, he might have just killed you without realizing the danger."

Naruto nodded, acknowledging the point. Then his features suffused with horror. "Wait, does that mean that whenever I die, the Kyubi will be unleashed? That I'm just a ticking time bomb, dangerous to everyone around me?"

Madara had been expecting this reaction, and had his explanation ready. "No, of course not. You were only dangerous when the Kyubi's chakra was just beginning to erupt, and you didn't know how to control it. Obviously you still don't, but that is the first thing you're going to work on. Soon you will have complete control over the Kyubi's chakra, and even if you die the discipline you will have learned will make the Kyubi dissipate instead of materializing."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I don't know what I'd do if my very presence put the entire village in danger. When can I start the training, father?"

Madara was glad to hear 'father' instead of 'Hokage-sama.' It meant he still had his son's trust.

"You will start tomorrow," he promised. "And in the meantime, let's not forget the ordeal you three have been through, and the comrade we've lost. We'll have a ceremony in three days, to honor Hansuke's memory. He was a brave man, who gave his life serving the village."

The three Cadets bowed their heads.

"There's a silver lining to this tragic cloud," Madara said after a moment had elapsed. "And I'm not just talking about the fact that you all survived, where other Cadets would have had no chance. No, I'm referring to the happy news that another Uchiha has joined the ranks of our elite warriors. Welcome, Takeshi, and congratulations on activating your sharingan."

The half-blood Inuzuka took a step forward and bowed his head, his grave expression not lightening at all. Madara recognized that expression on the faces of hundreds of warriors returning from the battlefield. Takeshi had had a taste of war, and simply gaining his birthright was no longer the only thing he strived for.

"You can collect your pay for a successful B-rank mission from the Quartermaster. And as for your C-rank mission, it is now officially an S-rank mission. Sharing any details of what happened is treason, punishable by death or exile. The Quartermaster will adjust your pay, but I'm sure you three don't want to talk of money in the wake of your sensei's death."

All three Cadets nodded. Thinking about money seemed disrespectful somehow, so soon after Hansuke's passing.

Madara clapped his hands together. "I'm sure you all need rest after your ordeal. You're dismissed. Naruto, I'll see you tomorrow when we begin your training."

The Cadets left without a word, their exhaustion almost palpable.

When they were gone Madara began to pace, altering all of his plans to account for Itachi's resurfacing. The fact that Itachi actually let Naruto and his teammates live meant that he had plans already in place. Itachi wasn't one to give away the element of surprise unless it was absolutely necessary. So some way or another, Konoha would soon come under attack. It was up to Madara to be prepared for that attack, no matter what form it might take.

As far as Naruto was concerned, Madara realized it was time to begin his true training. He might be one of the best Cadets the Uchiha had ever trained, but he needed to become more than that. Tomorrow Madara would tell Fugaku to begin Naruto's lessons in harnessing the Kyubi's chakra. Fugaku's Mangekyou sharingan would be enough to keep the Kyubi from releasing too much chakra, or gaining the upper hand.

The one small piece of good news that came out of this disastrous mission to Wave Country was that Takeshi's Inuzuka blood did not taint his sharingan. That meant that Naruto would be receptive to the sharingan eyes, as well. It only remained to be seen just how effective the Kyubi's regenerative abilities were. Would Naruto be able to wield implanted sharingan eyes with the same degree of control as a genuine Uchiha? Madara would need to carry out some tests to make sure.

And while Naruto's training proceeded, Madara would take steps to ensure the safety of the village. Itachi would not destroy everything that Madara had created, no matter what allies he'd managed to find in his quest for vengeance. Madara would kill Itachi, something he should have done all those years ago on the bank of the Nara river.

_You scorned my offer, Itachi. Now there is nothing left for you but death!_

oOoOo

Naruto said goodbye to Akemi and Takeshi, who were going straight back to the barracks to sleep. Naruto, on the other hand, wanted a little privacy so he could think. He didn't want to have to face the questions from the other Cadets, who might have heard by now that Hansuke hadn't returned with Squad 13.

Burning inside of Naruto was a fierce anger towards Itachi. Naruto was mad that the traitor had so easily manipulated him, and mad that even if he had seen through Itachi's smokescreen, there was no way he could have beaten him in a fight.

Naruto hated feeling powerless. He hated knowing that there was a person out there who was going to try and hurt his friends, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Madara had promised that he would begin training tomorrow, but Naruto still felt like he should be doing something.

_The prisoner! _The image of the crippled shinobi with white hair flashed through Naruto's mind. He could visit him tonight, and ask him about Itachi. They'd probably fought together, and who would know more about Itachi than his fellow traitor?

Naruto turned immediately and headed toward the prison. He ducked into an alley and came out onto a different street, using a transformation jutsu to look exactly like Captain Tanaki.

A few blocks from the prison a little voice piped up in the back of his head. _You're not doing this to find out about Itachi, are you? You just want to ask Kakashi about your father._

_No! _Naruto mentally shouted back. _I don't care about that!_

_Then why don't you just ask the Uchiha who used to fight with Itachi? Why do you have to go to the prisoner?_

Naruto stopped in the street, conflicted. After another minute he turned around and went back to barracks, though he kept shooting glances over his shoulder in the direction of the prison.

He was just about to go into the Military Police compound when he stopped a second time.

_Damn it, I WILL talk to the prisoner! He'll know more about Itachi than an Uchiha will, because they were both sympathizers with the Third Hokage. If he tries to tell me anything about my father, I'll just leave! He and Itachi both tried to poison my mind, but I won't let them!_

Naruto made an about-face and marched straight back to the prison, keeping up a pace that was almost a sprint. He walked right up to the gate guard, a Sealed shinobi wearing the flak jacket of a chunin, and gave him a sharp salute.

"Captain Tanaki, here to visit a prisoner on the Hokage's orders."

The guard gave him a strange look, but waved him through. Naruto made his way towards Kakashi's cell, intending to walk past the information booth without saying anything. But the man called out to him, forcing Naruto to stop.

"Captain Tanaki, back so soon?"

"Yes," Naruto said curtly, "I need to have a word with the Hatake traitor."

The man gave him a look almost exactly the same as the one the gate guard had just given him.

"Is this a joke? You were here a few minutes ago, Captain. You said the Hokage wanted the traitor moved to a new cell."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. He knew the real Captain Tanaki was back at barracks; he'd seen him when he left Akemi and Takeshi, which was why Naruto had chosen Tanaki for a disguise in the first place. That could only mean…

"Notify the Hokage immediately!" Naruto snapped. "There's been a jailbreak!"

oOoOo

Kakashi would have thought that he was dreaming, but the spiky white hair blowing back in the wind and getting into his mouth and eyes couldn't be anything but real.

He squeezed his arms tighter around Jiraiya's chest, and wrapped his one leg tightly around the Sannin's waist.

"That's it, Kakashi," the Toad Sage shouted, his voice getting carried back by the wind whipping past his face. "Wouldn't do for you to go falling off, after I went to all the trouble of rescuing you."

At the sound of the word 'rescue,' Kakashi broke down. He buried his face in Jiraiya's back, and sobbed. He'd thought those four walls were going to box him in forever.

The trees flying by looked too good to be true. Kakashi was afraid if he reached out a hand, it would pass right through. Maybe this was a genjutsu, and General Fugaku had become bored with more physical forms of torture. Kakashi almost couldn't bear to open his eye again, for fear that he would find himself back in his room.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, Jiraiya slowed and then came to a stop. He hopped down from a tree branch, and landed in a clearing. Kakashi hesitantly opened his eye and blinked away the last few streaky tears. The clearing came into focus, and after that Kakashi saw the cabin that was nestled at the far end of the clearing, right at the edge of the tree-line. Smoke rose in a cheerful spiral from the chimney. It was such a quaint, rustic sight, and so at odds with what Kakashi was used to, that he couldn't say anything.

Jiraiya looked at him quizzically. "What's the problem, 'Kashi? I would have figured that you'd be stoked to get out of there."

"Jiraiya…" Kakashi said wonderingly. "How did you find me?"

The Sannin shrugged nonchalantly. "I have a few contacts inside Konoha, and they heard some gossip that a one-eyed traitor was cooped up in a low-security prison. I couldn't leave one of Konoha's finest rotting in a place like that, so I busted you out!"

Kakashi gave a laugh that was half a sob. "I'm not one of Konoha's finest any more. I'm not even a shinobi. They sealed my chakra when they took my leg and cut out my eye."

Kakashi closed his good eye tightly when he uttered those words, so he missed Jiraiya's fierce look of sympathy. When he opened his eye, Jiraiya was staring at him coldly, all traces of sympathy erased.

"Hatake Kakashi," Jiraiya began, his tone now oddly formal. "No matter what has been done to you, you are still a shinobi of Konoha. Are you still willing to serve your village?"

Kakashi felt himself straighten instinctively, pushing himself as high as he could on his one leg.

"I am a servant of Konoha until my death. No matter what." His voice issued forth with its old strength, and for a moment he almost convinced himself he was the Copy-nin of Konoha once again.

"I never expected anything less," Jiraiya answered, his face wearing a satisfied expression. "Well, I have to run, because there are going to be a horde of angry Uchiha looking for you. I'll need to set up a hell of a lot of false trails to keep the bastards busy. In the meantime you should go inside, take a moment to rest, and meet up with your guide. He'll get you to Suna safely, and explain things to you on the way."

"Suna? Why-" but Jiraiya disappeared before Kakashi could finish his question. A branch came flying out of the woods, which Kakashi caught instinctively before it could hit him in the face.

He looked at the piece of wood uncomprehendingly, until he realized it was the perfect length for a walking stick. Kakashi gave another bitter laugh, and began to hobble over to the cabin. Who was this guide Jiraiya had mentioned? And why were they supposed to go to Sunagakure?

Kakashi opened the door slowly, old habits preventing him from making much noise while entering. He winced every time the makeshift walking stick hit the floor, as it made a hollow clacking that would alert any shinobi in the area.

While making his way across the wooden floor, Kakashi noticed cigarette smoke wafting from the kitchen. The source of the smoke was a lit cigarette, held by a man who was seated in a chair with his feet up on the table, his back to Kakashi.

"I hear somebody broke out of jail," the man said without turning around. Kakashi froze. It was a voice from the past, one he'd thought he would never hear again.

The shinobi pushed his chair back and turned around, leaving his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. Sarutobi Asuma gave Kakashi a wide grin.

"What's the matter, Kakashi, cat got your tongue? Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

**A/N: **So close, yet so far. Naruto never got his second conversation with Kakashi, but that's only because Kakashi himself has his own mission to accomplish. I told you Kakashi would be back, and he's coming back with a vengeance. As for Asuma, you'll get the full story next chapter, but during Madara's coup he was one of the Twelve Guardian shinobi, and so he wasn't killed like the Third Hokage or Konohamaru.

What did you think? This arc is going to set a lot of things in motion, some of which I'm hoping you won't see coming. Read and review!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **All of you who have been asking about the Sealed shinobi, such as Gai and Kurenai, rest assured: they're about to make their appearance. I've always planned on bringing them in, but there was no way to do so while Naruto and his team were still in Wave Country. I may not be able to devote time to every character, but there's a lot more of the story and if there are any requests for someone in particular, I can give them some screen time down the road.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story. The idea for Takeshi's weapon I got from Wolverine, who belongs to Marvel Comics.

**Chapter 14**

The sun had long since disappeared behind the rolling dunes of the Suna desert, but sleep refused to come for Sarutobi Asuma. He stared at the stars while dark thoughts ran through his head. Part of him was worried about Jiraiya; the Toad Sage had been one step ahead of the Uchiha for as long as Asuma had been fighting with him, but one mistake would be all it took. If Madara decided to join the hunt, or if one of the Uchiha was more perceptive than usual, all of their plans would come crashing down.

But while Asuma spared a few whispered prayers for Jiraiya, most of his thoughts centered on his traveling companion. Kakashi lay in the bedroll next to Asuma's, and though he slept it was clear from his fitful muttering that his demons gripped him fast.

"No," the crippled jonin muttered, "not Obito! Na… Naruto, no, not him, I'm so sorry sensei… It's all my fault, all my fault…"

Asuma grimaced as he listened to Kakashi's tortured voice. It would be kinder to wake him, but Asuma needed to learn as much as he could about what was eating at Kakashi's soul. The other jonin was physically weak after years of torture, and mentally he was even worse. Kakashi's guilt ate at him constantly, and at night he was completely at the mercy of his demons.

Asuma had taken his time during the trip to Suna, trying to get Kakashi gradually used to freedom. There had been fits of crying at first, and bouts of hysteria. Asuma had seen similar behavior from prisoners after months with Ibiki and the Torture and Interrogation Squad. Kakashi would eventually recover, just like they had. At least, that's what Asuma hoped.

And on the surface, at least, Kakashi seemed to be getting better. They were only a day away from reaching the village, and it had been several days since his last breakdown. His nightmares were as bad as ever, but he was functional. Once Asuma got them safely into Sunagakure, Kakashi could begin to heal properly.

Of course, that wasn't going to be easy. Jiraiya had briefed Asuma about the Kazekage, and how difficult it often was to deal with him. Asuma would need all of his wits about him to get the Kazekage to give him what he wanted; namely, asylum and custody of the Konoha orphans.

Thinking about the Konoha children was the only thing that gave Asuma hope. They were waiting in Suna, and he would train them and fight alongside them. All of Asuma's old comrades were practically slaves of Madara, and all of his family was dead. But at least this small fraction of Konoha's youngest generation was alive, and unsealed. Hope was still there, and Asuma would do his best to fan the embers of that hope until it burned so brightly that Madara would be blinded.

Asuma eventually fell asleep, wondering what the children would be like, and what he would be able to teach them. In the bedroll beside him Kakashi continued to toss and turn, still trapped by his nightmares.

In the morning Asuma shook his companion awake, stifling a sympathetic wince at the sight of Kakashi's bloodshot eye.

"Let's go, my friend," Asuma urged. "Time to get the hell out of this desert. I don't know about you, but I've had it with ration bars and sand up my ass. I want some real food and a bed."

"I'm with you there," Kakashi agreed wearily.

Asuma packed up the camp while Kakashi hid the signs of their presence. Then they began the rest of the trip to Sunagakure's front gates. Kakashi made no effort to hide his injury, as it helped reinforce the cover identities that would get them to the Kazekage.

Asuma told the guards who hailed them that he was a shinobi hired to bring Kakashi to Suna. Kakashi kept his white hair covered, and played the part of an old cripple all too convincingly. Once inside the gates, a few words and a letter from Jiraiya convinced one of the guards to bring the two Konoha shinobi to the Kazekage.

An hour before noon Asuma found himself and Kakashi outside the Kazekage's office, waiting to be admitted. Two chunin wearing fierce expressions and Suna hitai-ite gestured them inside.

Asuma took the chance to size up the Kazekage, who did the same with the two of them. He could see the cruel lines around the Kazekage's mouth, and the harsh set of his jaw. This was not a man to trifle with.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he looked at Kakashi. "A missing eye… hair conspicuously covered… you must be Hatake Kakashi, once Copy-nin of Konoha."

Kakashi bowed his head. "I have that honor."

The Kazekage gave a dry laugh, and looked wryly at Kakashi's walking stick. "Don't look too intimidating now, I have to say." Kakashi didn't answer, and the Kazekage turned his attention to Asuma.

"And who might you be?"

Asuma kept his voice low, mindful of the shinobi guarding the door.

"I am Sarutobi Asuma, only son and heir to the Third Hokage."

The Kazekage raised his eyebrows slightly, the only indication that he was at all surprised.

"Really? I was under the impression that the Uchiha exterminated the Sarutobi clan."

"They did their best." Asuma didn't try to keep the anger out of his tone. "But one survived, and you're looking at him. When Madara led the Uchiha against the Hokage, I was one of the Twelve Guardian shinobi. Thus I escaped death, unlike the rest of my family."

"Where have you been all these years?" the Kazekage asked in a pointed tone. "Hiding under a rock?"

Asuma kept his cool. This was going exactly as Jiraiya had warned him it would. The Kazekage was trying to make him flustered, so that he lost track of what he was after, and gave away more than he wanted to. It was an effective, though heavy-handed, method of conducting negotiations.

"I began looking for allies willing to help me liberate Konoha. I was lucky enough to find Jiraiya, and for the last four years we have been working together to destabilize Madara's reign."

That wasn't quite how it had happened. When Asuma had received word about Madara's coup d'état, he had been devastated. He'd realized that he would never be able to speak to his father again; never be able to beg his forgiveness for leaving Konoha all those years ago. In his rage and grief, Asuma had resolved to go back to Konoha and launch a suicidal attack on the Uchiha.

Luckily, before he had thrown away his life, Jiraiya had found him. It didn't take much convincing to get Asuma to throw in with the Toad Sage, and help him in his quest to liberate Konoha. They'd become a good team during their years together, but now the time was approaching when they would come out of the shadows.

The Kazekage snorted, as if to say that he didn't think Asuma and Jiraiya had been doing a very good job. "And why are you here now?"

Asuma bowed his head respectfully. "I am here to ask for two things. First, asylum for myself and my comrade Kakashi. Second, that you allow us to train the six shinobi who were once from Konoha. If you grant these two requests, we will swear loyalty to you and to Sunagakure until the day we die."

The Kazekage couldn't keep the light out of his eyes, and Asuma knew why. As the last remaining Sarutobi, he was perhaps the single most powerful symbol of the old regime in Konoha. Even though the title of Hokage did not pass from father to son, Asuma was the closest thing Konoha had to a missing heir. The villagers would accept him as Hokage, and the majority of the shinobi would as well, if Suna managed to defeat the Uchiha in battle. If that happened, the Kazekage would have a puppet Hokage, ultimately giving him control over two villages.

Asuma and Jiraiya had debated this point many times over the years. Would giving Konoha to Suna do anything more than trade one tyrant for another? But eventually they'd decided that the risk was worth it.

After all, the Kazekage's strongest motivation was upholding the glory of his village. If he controlled Konoha his desire to protect his people would extend to the people of Konoha. He wasn't a bad ruler, and while he wasn't exactly egalitarian he would never condone placing Seals on his shinobi. And even if he didn't necessarily value Konoha as much as Suna, he was a known quantity while Madara was an unknown. The threat posed by having the Kazekage in charge was much less than dealing with Madara, who had abilities that even Jiraiya couldn't match.

"Your first request is acceptable," the Kazekage began, a calculating glint in his eyes. "I will gladly accept you into the ranks of our shinobi, as long as you swear to fight only for Suna. As for your second request, I don't see why it would be a good idea to have you associate with the orphans. They already have a sensei, and having you around might lead them to forget what they owe to Suna. As for your companion, his injuries make me doubt that he would be of any use to the village at all."

Asuma set himself, resolved not to show any weakness before this man. "You don't get me without him," he declared firmly. "Kakashi may not be able to fight, but he knows more about Konoha's secrets than almost any shinobi alive. He was an ANBU captain, and held his own against four Uchiha jonin during the takeover. It took General Fugaku himself to bring him down. We would both be valuable assets to your village."

Asuma grinned at the Kazekage, though it was more like a challenge. "As for the kids, I won't teach them anything other than how to kill swiftly, silently, and whenever you say. I guarantee that you won't find anyone better than I am."

Tension hung heavy in the air, until the Kazekage returned Asuma's grin. "You boast well, but can you back it up? How about this: I'll give you the opportunity to show your skills, in single combat with the children's current sensei. If you win, you'll get the chance to work alongside him, and become a Captain of Sandstorm."

_What is Sandstorm? _Asuma thought distractedly. _Do the genin teams in Suna have names or something?_

All he said was, "So be it. When and where?"

The Kazekage offered his hand to Asuma, who shook it heartily, refusing to grimace at the Suna shinobi's strength.

"I won't have it said that there was any favoritism during this match," the Kazekage said genially. "You can rest for today, and tomorrow you'll meet Baki in the arena. You can both stay here tonight, in the room we reserve for visiting ambassadors. Tomorrow a chunin will direct you to the arena. It was a pleasure to meet you both, and I look forward to this demonstration of your skills."

When they were settled in the quarters that the Kazekage had offered them for the night, Kakashi turned to Asuma with some uneasiness. "Are you sure you'll be able to win? The elite shinobi of Sunagakure have always been strong."

Asuma lit a cigarette, puffing once and sighing with satisfaction. "I guess we'll just have to find out."

oOoOo

In the days before the attack of the Kyubi, one restaurant in Konohagakure enjoyed the great honor of being the favorite of the Fourth Hokage. Namikaze Minato loved Ichiraku Ramen so much that his friends and counselors often teased him, saying that he might as well live there. More often than not villagers walking down the street at midday would see his golden hair flashing in the sun, as he downed bowl after bowl of noodles.

The Fourth was so well loved that he would be swarmed by grateful villagers asking for his blessing or just trying to be close to him. He was embarrassed by the attention, and while he loved his people just as they loved him, he needed his privacy. But that was the problem: how could he enjoy his favorite food without falling prey to the adoration of his subjects?

The answer came to him one day, and immediately he hired a construction team to build a secret cellar underneath Ichiraku Ramen. Only the construction workers, Teuchi, and the few people Minato trusted with the secret ever knew of the cellar, so the Fourth Hokage was able to enjoy his ramen in peace.

When the Kyubi attacked Konoha, Ichiraku ramen shop was destroyed, but the underground cellar remained. With Minato's death, the only person still living who knew about the cellar was Teuchi, the owner of the ramen restaurant. For years the cellar had been boarded up and gathering dust. And as far as most of the world was concerned, it still was. But Ichiraku Teuchi knew differently. He polished bowls by candlelight, trying not to listen to the murmur of voices coming from underneath the floorboards, rising up from the secret ramen hideaway of the Fourth Hokage. At Teuchi's feet were three identical ninja hounds, all of which were ready to sound the alarm at the first whiff of trouble.

Underneath the loose floorboard, down the stairs, and through a rotting wooden door was the cellar itself. It wasn't much, just a few shelves lining rocky walls and a circular, wooden table in the middle of the room. Around the table sat five shinobi, two men and three women, all with the Caged Bird Seal prominent on their foreheads. It was their murmuring voices that reached Teuchi's ears.

The youngest of the conspirators, a dark-haired man with a scar running across his nose, shifted uneasily. "Are you sure we're secure here? If we're discovered, it'll be the end of everything."

One of the women, who sported the traditional tattoos of the Inuzuka clan and wore her hair in a ponytail with bangs framing her face, gave an impatient snort. "Grow a pair, Iruka. We're completely safe. The Haimaru triplets will smell anyone before they get close."

The shinobi at the head of the table, an old woman with a hood covering her face, spoke up before Iruka could reply. "What Inuzuka Hana says is true. And if that weren't enough, with my Byakugan I will know if any Uchiha comes within a kilometer of this place. Be at piece, Umino-san."

Iruka gave a seated half-bow to the old woman. "My apologies, Honored Elder. I did not mean to slight anyone's abilities. I'm just nervous, that's all. There's far more at stake here than just our lives."

The fourth conspirator nodded agreement. Her red eyes glowed even brighter than usual in the orange glow of the candlelight. "Well said, Iruka. It's not cowardice to be aware of everything that we're putting on the line. If either of us is discovered, the Academy is sure to suffer. The Uchiha will put someone in charge who is just a toady, and doesn't care about the children at all. And if Hana is discovered, her clan will surely pay a heavy price. Finding out that a clan head participated in acts of treason will bring the harshest of punishments down on the heads of your clansmen."

"Don't worry about us, Kurenai," Hana snarled. "The Pack understands. We're loyal to the Third, unlike some of the ass-kissing cowards who wear the Seal."

The final conspirator gave Hana a thumbs up, and somehow his smile sparkled even with just the meager illumination of the candle. "That's the spirit, Hana! The Fires of Youth burn brightly in the Inuzuka clan!"

Hana glared at the green-clad shinobi. "Don't start with me, Gai. If you mention Fires of Youth one more time I'll shave that bowl cut right off. Honored Elder," she began, turning to face the elderly Hyuga woman, "what news is there of the Resistance outside of Konoha?"

"Yes," Kurenai agreed, "let's get to the reason we gathered here in the first place."

The old woman pushed back her hood, and looked around the table at the four Konoha shinobi. Her white eyes seemed to stare into their very souls.

"I've heard from our informant that Jiraiya managed to free Kakashi. Asuma is bringing him to Suna, and events there proceed as planned. If the daimyo continues to favor Konoha, the Kazekage will want to strike first."

Iruka raised a questioning hand. "Wouldn't that be the worst possible thing that could happen? War with Suna wouldn't hurt the Uchiha as much as it would decimate the Sealed shinobi. Madara will use us as cannon fodder, and clean up what's left once we're dead. Even if Jiraiya manages to kill Madara by allying with Suna, a war will leave us too weak to defend ourselves. Iwa wouldn't just stand by, they'd take the opportunity to finish what they started in the Third Shinobi World War."

The Hyuga matriarch nodded. "You're right, Umino-san. As long as we bear these Seals, any attack on Konoha will result in the death of innocent shinobi. If we don't fight for the Uchiha, they will activate our Seals. And if we do fight, all of the casualties will be on our side. That is why an attack from the outside must happen at the same time as an attack from the inside."

Iruka and Hana both looked confused. "How would we do that? The moment we rise up against the Uchiha, they'll activate our Seals and slaughter us all."

"Precisely. Which is why, before any attack can occur, we must neutralize the Caged Bird Seal."

Kurenai and Gai obviously knew of this part of the plan, because they showed no sign of surprise. Iruka and Hana, on the other hand, were flabbergasted.

"But how…" Hana trailed off. "But the Seal is unbreakable!"

"Any Seal can be broken," the elder replied firmly. "The Toad Sage Jiraiya is one of the world's foremost experts on Seals. He is going to take someone bearing the Seal away from Konoha, and unravel the secret of the Seal. With that knowledge, we will coordinate a massive counter-strike against the Uchiha."

Kurenai spoke up, seeing that the younger shinobi were beginning to look a little too optimistic. "It won't be easy. We can't just send a shinobi with Jiraiya. Every one of the Sealed shinobi reports in at the end of the day. We're all accounted for, and it would be impossible to get someone with the Seal out of Konoha indefinitely."

Iruka thought he saw where this was going. "So we need someone who bears the Seal, but who doesn't carry out the day-to-day duties of a shinobi…"

"That's right," the Hyuga elder answered. "It must be one of the Hyuga main branch. We are, after all, merely servants of the Uchiha. And who checks to make sure that a Seal works properly on a servant? The Uchiha ignore us, as long as we do our work swiftly and silently."

"So Jiraiya will take one of the Hyuga servants…"

The old woman set her jaw. "Yes. In exactly one month, Jiraiya will return from Kumogakure. He will bring a member of the Fukumen clan, who are masters of disguise and infiltration. We will swap the Kumo shinobi with my granddaughter, Hyuga Hinata. Then Jiraiya will find out how to neutralize the Caged Bird Seal. If all goes well, the Uchiha clan will be caught between the forces of Suna and Konoha shinobi newly freed from bondage."

"The Fukumen clan?" Iruka sputtered. "They're supposed to be Kumo's best spies! How will Jiraiya get one of them to help?"

"He'll make them an offer they can't refuse." For a moment the old woman straightened, and a fierce, regal light shone from her eyes. "When Jiraiya succeeds in neutralizing the Seal, the spy from Kumo will return to her village. I will go with her, and offer the Raikage my eyes as payment."

Iruka's mouth fell open in shock. He would have shouted a protest, but Kurenai put a hand gently on his shoulder. "Peace, Iruka. This is her decision."

The Hyuga elder nodded firmly. "Protecting the secret of the Byakugan means nothing if we are still slaves of Madara. We need a skilled member of the Fukumen clan to impersonate Hinata until Jiraiya is finished, and this is the only way to accomplish that. I am a Hyuga of the Main Branch, and my duty is to Konohagakure. No matter what the Usurper does, these eyes will never stop serving the village."

Tears began to flow down Gai's face. "Oh, Most Youthful Elder! You are an example to us all! With shinobi such as you fanning the flames, the Will of Fire will never be extinguished!"

"So that's the plan," Hana commented, regarding the elder respectfully. "Provided that Jiraiya can crack the Seal, it just might work."

Kurenai shifted to address the younger kunoichi. "That's the real issue. We don't know exactly how long it will take Jiraiya. So we need to keep ourselves secret, but remain prepared to strike."

"The Inuzuka clan will be ready," Hana declared.

"Your Flames of Youth do you credit," Gai responded, "but you mustn't tell them yet."

Hana rounded on Gai, her eyes shooting fire. "What did I tell you about Flames of Youth?"

"Easy, Hana." Kurenai put out her hands placatingly. "Gai is right that you mustn't tell your clansmen. For now, Jiraiya's plan must be a secret known only to the five of us."

"Why?" Hana demanded.

"Because as much as we may now want to admit it, not all Sealed shinobi would keep this plan a secret. Some would betray us to Madara, in hopes that it would win them favor. Some would worry that such a plan would put everyone in danger. And some shinobi truly believe that a shinobi's only duty is to protect and serve the village, regardless of who is Hokage."

Gai nodded sagely. "Like Ibiki Morino, from the Torture and Interrogation Squad. He's one of Madara's most trusted servants, because all he cares about is gathering the best information and putting it at the disposal of whichever Hokage is in power. Shinobi like Ibiki view themselves as the only true servants of the village, unaffected by squabbles between shinobi factions. What they miss is that a true tyrant like Madara is the worst possible threat to the village, even if that threat takes years to make itself known."

Iruka whistled softly. "Wow, Gai… that was actually smart. And you didn't mention the Fires of Youth once!"

Gai gave Iruka a huge wink and a thumbs up.

"If that's all," Kurenai declared, "we should end this meeting here. We're all going to need to exercise the utmost caution in getting home undetected."

"Then it's settled," the Hyuga elder said. "In one month, my granddaughter will leave with Jiraiya. Until that time, we will not meet unless in an emergency, and we will tell no one, absolutely _no one_, about this plan. After the Kumo spy has successfully switched places with Hinata, we will meet again to lay our plans. Stay safe, everyone. The future of the village is in our hands."

The five conspirators left the table, exited through the rotting wooden door, and climbed the few stairs to the first floor of the restaurant. They ghosted past Old Man Teuchi, who didn't give them so much as a glance in passing. The Haimaru triplets took their places behind Hana, and the Sealed shinobi went off into the night.

Teuchi put the loose floorboards back in place over the secret staircase. Then he blew out his candle, and walked the familiar path to his room on the upper floor. He poked his head in Ayame's room, just to reassure himself that she was asleep. A few minutes later he was fast asleep in his own bed.

Konoha was still and silent once again.

oOoOo

Takeshi thought he'd died and gone to shinobi paradise. All around him, covering every inch of the wall and overflowing the tables, were weapons of every shape and description. There were hundreds of tantos and katanas, and windmill shuriken that unfolded from a single blade. There were spears and nunchaku, and even a few longbows like the kind that Hansuke-sensei had fought with. There were weapons that Takeshi didn't even know the name of, like the long club with spikes sticking out of it or the scythe with three long blades at the end.

"Pick a weapon that feels right. You might not notice it at first, but keep trying and you'll know what it should feel like eventually," Captain Tanaki said, his voice oozing condescension.

Takeshi had to stifle a laugh when he looked over at the shinobi who'd been assigned to guide them to the armory. Naruto had masqueraded as Captain Tanaki so many times that the pompous Captain had become a running joke with Squad 13.

"Yes sir, Captain Tanaki, sir!" Takeshi rapped out, laughing inside when he saw the Captain swell a little bit at being so respectfully addressed. Takeshi met Akemi's eyes and winked, causing the girl to hastily turn her snort into a cough.

Then Takeshi began to explore the treasures in the armory, completely forgetting about Tanaki in his haste to find the perfect weapon. He hefted a few katanas and even a zanbatou, but none of the swords felt particularly balanced in his hands. Hinamaru walked next to him, keeping up a running commentary on the choices.

**Why limit yourself to only one fang? **Though Takeshi could understand Hinamaru through their mental connection, the ninja hound had a little trouble understanding some aspects of human life.

Takeshi laughed. **Swords are a little bit longer than fangs, so you don't need as many.**

**Hmph. **Even mind-to-mind, Hinamaru's contempt for the swords was clear. **All you need are your fangs and claws.**

**But I don't **_**have **_**fangs or claws!**

Hinamaru gave an audible snort, and walked over to a shelf on the far side of the armory. **Then get some!**

The hound barked and jumped, pointing with his nose towards a weapon on the upper shelf. Takeshi walked over curiously.

Hinamaru was pointing to a pair of metal, fingerless gloves that covered the back of his hands up to his first knuckles. There were three slits on the back of each glove, and protruding from the slits were metal spikes almost a foot long.

**Claws, huh? **Takeshi slipped the gloves on, clenching his fists and then loosening them. The metal claws didn't restrict his movement at all. He tried a few experimental swipes, enjoying how the spikes felt like extensions of his hands. It felt much more natural than the swords had.

Captain Tanaki had followed him over, and looked over his shoulder at his choice of weapon. "Interesting choice," the Captain said. "These gauntlets were specially made by the puppeteer craftsmen of Suna many years ago. If you channel a little chakra into the gloves, you can control the length of the blades. It makes your attacks difficult to dodge, since the blades can extend at will. The same ability also allows you to completely retract the blades, so that they don't interfere with hand signs and you can wield a secondary weapon if you choose."

Takeshi tried it, channeling a small stream of chakra into the gloves. The blades elongated, becoming almost two feet before they stopped growing.

"That's their range," Tanaki commented. "Any more and the blades would be too weak, too easy to snap off."

Takeshi practiced retracting the blades, then sending them out again. He grinned at Hinamaru, who barked fiercely.

"I'll take 'em."

Captain Tanaki curled his lip a little. "I suppose they do seem… _appropriate _for you."

Takeshi would have snarled if Tanaki wasn't his superior officer. It seemed that just gaining his sharingan wouldn't be enough for him to gain acceptance from his relatives. They still saw him as more Inuzuka than Uchiha, marked as alien by the fang tattoos on his cheeks.

**Screw him,**Takeshi thought to Hinamaru. **I don't need to prove anything.**

**He's a stupid human, **Hinamaru agreed. **Can I bite him?**

Takeshi laughed out loud, making Tanaki look even more scornful.

**Maybe some other time, Hinamaru. I bet he tastes horrible, anyway.**

Captain Tanaki took a scroll down from the shelf, and gave it to Takeshi. "This scroll contains the information you'll need to start training with the claws. Normally someone who knew how to fight with them would teach you, but there hasn't been anyone who used this style in years."

"That's fine, I can figure it out," Takeshi answered. He was pretty confident he'd be able to; after all, it was just like fighting Inuzuka-style, when their nails became sharper and more claw-like. This weapon just took the Inuzuka taijutsu to its logical conclusion. And now Takeshi's claws would be able to stop a sword.

_I hope I meet that Iwa jonin again,_ he thought viciously. _Let's see if she can swing her sword with metal spikes through her chest._

Captain Tanaki left Takeshi and made his way over to Akemi. Takeshi turned, and his jaw dropped in amazement.

Akemi had picked a mid-sized katana from the wall, and was practicing basic forms. Her body moved with a liquid grace, and the sword traced patterns of light through the air.

**Stop drooling, pup.**

Takeshi snapped his mouth shut, and glared at his canine partner. A fierce blush spread across his cheeks. **Watch it, dog! I'll carve you into little pieces.**

Hinamaru growled. **Bring it on, human! Your fancy fake claws don't scare me.**

With difficulty, Takeshi ignored Hinamaru's insinuations and turned to Akemi.

"Is that what you're going to use?" he asked.

Akemi gave one last flourish, and slid the blade smoothly into the scabbard. "I think so. It feels… right, somehow."

Captain Tanaki nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! This is the perfect weapon for an Uchiha. Our sharingan practically guarantees that we make excellent swordsmen. I use a katana myself, as it happens. I'd be happy to show you the ropes."

Akemi dismissed Tanaki's suggestion with a wave of her hand. "Thanks Captain, but I'm sure my father will suggest a jonin who can train me. You've been really helpful, but we have to go now."

Before the Captain could say anything, Akemi was out the door. Takeshi and Hinamaru followed, leaving Tanaki alone in the armory.

"We should spar a little," Akemi said. "We're not getting any new missions for a while, and we don't have to rejoin Cadet training for a week. This is the perfect opportunity to get used to our new weapons."

Takeshi ran alongside her, wondering at Akemi's unprecedented civility. It appeared that after everything they'd gone through together in Wave Country, Akemi acknowledged him as a worthy teammate. He would do his best not to disappoint her.

"Sounds good. I want to practice with these," he hefted his claws, "and fighting you will probably be a lot like fighting against that Iwa jonin who used a sword."

"After that, do you want to work on Change in Chakra Nature? I remember you were having a little trouble with it before we left. I could… I could give you some pointers, if you want."

The offer astounded him. Never before had Akemi offered to help him with anything. They had been friends, but Akemi had never missed an opportunity to point out how much better she was than him.

During the fight against the Iwa shinobi, both Akemi and Naruto had managed to use techniques relying on their own elemental affinities. It was part of what they'd been learning before the Wave mission. Takeshi had been so focused on trying to get his sharingan that he hadn't been able to work on his affinity very much.

"I'd love that, but can you really help? Your affinity is different from mine."

"Well, I'll do my best, even if it's just to encourage you. Don't worry, you'll crush that leaf before you know it!"

When Takeshi had learned that his affinity was with Earth, he'd been extremely disappointed. Most Uchiha had a Fire affinity, so his having Earth was just another indication that he was different from the rest of his relatives.

Now Takeshi couldn't wait to start developing Earth techniques. He had a sudden vision of himself riding a waterfall of rock, like the ones that the Iwa kunoichi had used, and burying his opponents under a wave of earth.

They reached the arena and began to warm up, running a few laps and stretching. Takeshi spared a moment to ask Akemi something that had been bothering him.

"How do you think Naruto is doing? He was supposed to start his special training today."

Akemi shot a worried glance in the direction of the Hokage Tower. "I don't know. The Kyubi is really dangerous. How can somebody as young as we are learn how to use its chakra? How is the Hokage going to make sure that the Kyubi doesn't break free?"

"I trust Naruto," Takeshi said firmly. "He'll do everything he can to get stronger."

"I trust him too. He got us back alive, didn't he? But if I know Naruto, he's just as angry about Itachi as I am."

Takeshi looked nervously at Akemi, unsure how to respond.

"Itachi tricked us, and tried to turn us against the Hokage," Akemi said, her tone remarkably even. "And the Hokage is Naruto's father, so Naruto has to be just as pissed as me. Which is pretty pissed."

She turned to Takeshi, her black eyes determined. "Don't worry, 'Keshi. I'm not about to go off the handle. I learned my lesson. Protecting the team is more important than avenging a ghost. But Itachi is coming for Konoha, and I'm going to be ready for him when he does. Knowing Naruto, he's thinking the same thing. That's why I'm worried for him. I don't trust him to know when to stop. He'll kill himself with training if he's not careful, no matter how much freakish stamina he has."

"We won't let that happen," Takeshi promised. "Naruto will be fine."

"I hope so. But still," Akemi sighed, "I have a bad feeling about this training of his."

oOoOo

Hinata crept through the woods as silently as she knew how. She turned her head slightly, scanning the area with her byakugan. Aside from the squirrels and a bird or two, she was the only creature around. That was good, because she needed privacy for what she was about to do.

The woods opened up into a small clearing, cut in two by a river that trickled by gently. Hinata found a spot close to the trees, which provided a quick escape route if she saw anyone coming. Then she began to move.

Hinata began the free-flowing forms that were the basis of the Jyuken style of taijutsu. Her arms traced delicate patterns through the air, and her feet didn't step so much as glide to each new position. She sent bursts of chakra through her open palms, visualizing an enemy shinobi in front of her.

While painstakingly practicing her forms, Hinata never forgot to keep scanning the area. It would be her death if she was caught practicing the taijutsu style that was her heritage. Her grandmother, the eldest living Hyuga of the Main Branch, had taught her the basics but refused to do anything more.

"For now, it is better to accept what we are. We are servants. That may change in time, but it does no good denying the truth."

Nevertheless, Hinata tried to practice the Gentle Fist style as often as she could. She was a Hyuga, and that meant something. She wasn't like her cousin Neji, who believed that everything was determined by fate. She believed everyone had a choice about how they lived. And Hinata chose to be a kunoichi. Even if she knew next to nothing, and was only able to practice during the few odd hours that she could get away from the Hokage's Tower.

_My sneaking skills are definitely worthy of a shinobi, _Hinata thought bitterly, and threw a punch with a little more force than usual. _Because any time I want to go anywhere, I have to scurry in the shadows like a rat._

But Hinata believed that one day she would be free. That belief was what kept her going. She would make a life for herself and Hanabi that didn't involve scrubbing and sweeping all day. She would fight proudly alongside other shinobi from Konoha, their foreheads unmarked by anything other than a forehead protector. It was for that day that Hinata waited, and it was for that day that she trained.

As Hinata practiced, she became aware of a small lump near the edge of her field of vision. She had thought it was a mushroom, but realized that it was too yellow for that. Then, in an agonizing second, she realized what it actually was. It was a shock of blond hair, belonging to someone lying against a tree at the far end of the clearing.

Hinata raced for the safety of the trees, but the yellow hair remained where it was. A strange sound reached Hinata's ears, and it took her a second to identify it as snoring.

_Wait… blond hair? Could it be…_

Cursing herself for a fool, Hinata worked her way closer to the tree hiding the person's body from view. She dashed from tree to tree, until she came within a dozen feet of the sleeping form.

She held her breath as she got her first glimpse of who was sleeping there… just as she'd hoped, just as she'd feared, it was Naruto. The boy she'd loved from afar, and the shinobi she could only ever hate.

Hinata had heard the gossip from the other servants, about how the Hokage's son had returned from a mission without his sensei, the whole team having narrowly escaped death. Hinata wondered how he was holding up, after living through an experience like that.

With the enhanced vision of her byakugan, Hinata was able to see just how bad of shape Naruto was in. He had scratches all over his face and arms, and his face seemed unnaturally pale. Looking closer, she realized his chakra was almost completely depleted. Blue chakra sent out erratic sparks occasionally, but even they were weak. Was this all from his mission?

Hinata drew closer almost unconsciously. Thanks to her byakugan, she was able to dodge to the side in time to avoid the kunai thrown at her face.

Naruto, who had jumped up and thrown a kunai at the same time, looked horrified that he had almost hit her.

"I'm so sorry!" he said frantically, bowing like a maniac. "Force of habit, I didn't mean it."

Hinata was still shaking, staring at the kunai embedded in the tree behind her. "Ano… it was my fault, Uchiha-sama. Please forgive me."

She looked at her feet, mindful of her place as a servant.

"Oh, please don't do that," Naruto groaned. "I'm just Naruto. Look, I almost killed you by accident, the least I can do is let you call me by my name."

"Ano, thank you…Naruto."

Naruto sank back down against the tree, emitting a tired sigh. "Wow, that hurt. I don't think I've ever been this tired."

"You're… you're really hurt, aren't you?" Hinata blushed bright red at her forwardness in asking him straight out.

"I guess so," Naruto admitted, looking surprised. "I don't remember ever feeling like this before."

"Was it the mission you got back from?"

Naruto looked surprised, and perhaps a little defensive. "How'd you know about that? It's supposed to be a secret!"

Hinata squeaked. "I really don't know anything, I swear! It's just, the servants gossip, so I know you were on a mission… and that your sensei didn't come back."

"Oh." Naruto looked so sad at this reminder that Hinata could have kicked herself. She cast about for something, anything, that could distract him from his grief.

"You look like you're suffering from chakra exhaustion. Did that happen on the mission?"

"No," Naruto replied, grimacing slightly. "That was today. I was… training. I didn't know how hard it was gonna be."

"Why are you out here?" Hinata demanded. "You should be in a hospital!" Then she blushed again at being so forward with the son of the Hokage. She looked at the ground in shame.

"Oh, I heal really fast," Naruto reassured her. "I just… wanted some peace and quiet. I had a lot to think about. And then I guess I fell asleep."

He gave a sheepish grin, then fixed Hinata with a curious glance. "Why are you out here?"

"Ano, I… wanted to pick some berries for the chef. I should find them and get back."

Naruto's face fell. "Aw, that's too bad. I was really enjoying talking to you."

Hinata couldn't believe that he meant it, but his voice sounded absolutely sincere. She found she couldn't tear herself away, no matter how much her brain was yelling at her to get the hell out of there.

"I guess I could stay a _little _longer…"

The smile on Naruto's face when she said that was enough to make her wish she could stay there with him forever. She blushed so strongly that she felt sure she would faint.

"You're a funny girl, aren't you?" Naruto said, but he didn't wait for her answer. "Hey, I brought some food with me. Fugaku-sensei said I would need to recharge my energy, so I packed enough for two meals."

Naruto pointed to a picnic basket which Hinata had completely missed, so distracted she had been by Naruto. It was overflowing with what looked to Hinata like enough food for _ten _meals, not the two that Naruto had said. She looked at Naruto, who had a pleading expression on his face.

"_Please? _You'll get back with the berries in plenty of time, I'll help you look for them!"

The rational part of Hinata's mind screamed that this was a bad idea, that the only thing to do was to leave at once. But her body wouldn't obey, and she found herself sitting next to Naruto and spreading a napkin on her lap.

An observer would have been shocked to see the son of the Hokage and the enslaved heir of the Hyuga clan sitting together, peacefully sharing a meal in the woods by the bank of the Naka river. But to the two children, both lonely and forced to grow up long before their time, nothing could have been more natural.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Baki fights Asuma, Kakashi learns to hope, and Naruto continues to train and meet with Hinata in secret.

Also, decent number of people have asked me about Akatsuki. The organization as it was in canon doesn't exist, but that's not to say that the members of Akatsuki won't show up. There's already been one hint to that effect, although it was extremely short and very obscure. Anyway, stay with me! The pace is slow for the next few chapters, but by the end of this arc the shit will hit the fan.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 15**

Years ago, during the reign of the Second Kazekage, the villagers of Sunagakure had built a stadium to be used during the Chunin Exams. It was located near the center of the village, so it could be accessible to anyone who wished to observe the tournament matches.

Over the years the stadium had come to be one of the most well-known buildings in the village. Grandfathers regaled their grandchildren with stories of the fights they had witnessed in that stadium, and every Suna genin dreamed of the day they would fight there, putting their lives on the line for the title of chunin.

It was in this stadium that Asuma was to fight for the privilege of teaching the Konoha orphans. Today was going to be a rare occurrence, in that a fight was going to take place but the villagers weren't invited. Today the only audience would be the Council, the Kazekage and his bodyguards, and Kakashi.

_It's all on you, Asuma, _Kakashi thought. The last living Sarutobi was leaning on a railing, waiting for his opponent to appear.

The Kazekage leaned over his seat to address a comment to the elderly council members. Kakashi kept an ear trained on the conversation.

"This ought to be an excellent fight," the Kazekage began. "One of your own, a Council member, against Sarutobi Asuma. Any of you care to wager on the outcome?"

Kakashi thought that the Kazekage's bodyguards seemed unusually tense at the mention of Asuma, though he couldn't be sure because they were all wearing masks. He spared a second to observe them, while the Council members made small talk with the Kazekage.

_They're all small, _Kakashi thought to himself. _Is the Kazekage hiring children to protect him now?_

Then it hit him. _Is this the Kazekage's idea of a joke? Does he think we won't recognize the Konoha orphans if he puts masks on them? But wait a second… why are there nine of them? Asuma said there were only six orphans._

Then, to Kakashi's surprise, one of the masked children turned to look directly at him. He felt the force of the child's regard, even through the mask.

_He sensed me looking at them… just how strong are these children?_

Kakashi turned his gaze back on Asuma, ignoring the sense of being watched by the masked genin. It was then that Asuma's opponent appeared. A Suna jonin walked onto the stadium floor through a door off to the side. Half of his face was covered by a cloth, which helped Kakashi to recognize him from the Bingo Book. This was Baki, whom he knew by reputation as one of Suna's strongest warriors. Baki bowed to the Kazekage, and waited.

Asuma turned from the railing, and gave Kakashi a wink. "Looks like I'm up!" He jumped from the railing and fell twenty feet, landing lightly on the packed sand that was the stadium floor. He took up a position across from Baki, and waited expectantly.

The Kazekage stood, and pitched his voice to carry down to the two combatants. "This battle will determine if Sarutobi Asuma is worthy to become a Captain of Sandstorm. This is not a battle to the death, but apart from that anything goes. The fight will end when one person admits defeat, or when I declare the match to be over. Begin!"

Down on ground level the two shinobi crouched, and began to circle each other warily. "Sarutobi Asuma," Baki began, "it is an honor to meet you. Anyone who has fought next to Jiraiya for so long is sure to be a strong opponent. But if you want to teach the children under my care, don't hold anything back. I will not allow their development to be damaged by a weakling."

Asuma grinned and tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand, all the while searching for an opening. "It sounds like you care about them. I'm glad. But it is my right to teach them, and so I will defeat you here and now."

Asuma threw the kunai he'd been holding in his right hand, and followed up with a volley of shuriken. Baki didn't even move, only using one hand to make a set of hand seals. A gust of wind met the flying weapons head-on, sending them back the way they came.

"You should know better than to use long-range weapons against a Wind-style user," Baki said. "If that's your idea of strategy, then the children of Sandstorm have nothing to learn from you."

"Oh, I don't know," Asuma said casually. "Maybe I'll get lucky." Then he was off in a blur of motion, and shuriken and kunai began flying at Baki from all directions. The Suna jonin kept redirecting them with gusts of wind, looking increasingly more annoyed and disappointed.

Kakashi watched the scene, confident that he'd figured out Asuma's plan. Sure enough, one of the kunai cut right through Baki's chakra-enhanced wind, propelled by a burst of blue chakra. Baki dodged effortlessly, but, impossibly, the kunai swerved in mid-air. Baki managed to dodge again, but not before the weapon left a shallow groove down his left arm.

Baki sent a stronger gust of wind at the kunai, which glowed an even brighter blue, powered through the wind, and returned to Asuma's hand. Asuma caught it by the handle and smirked.

"What was that about ranged weapons being useless?"

Baki put a hand on his injury, checking to make sure that it wasn't very deep. "How did you do that? No ordinary kunai can overpower wind attacks."

Asuma hefted the kunai with a flourish. "Well, this isn't your average kunai. In fact, it's not a kunai at all." The kunai glowed an even brighter blue, then disappeared. In its place was a long, serrated knife with a circular handle. Asuma gripped it like a pair of brass knuckles, the blade angling outward like a switchblade.

"Trench knives…" Baki said, his face lighting with understanding. "So you're a Wind user too."

Asuma nodded. "Only one in all of Konoha, that I'm aware of."

Baki stretched his cut arm, making sure the injury hadn't impaired his range of motion. "I guess we have more in common than I would have thought. But just because you can infuse your weapons with wind chakra doesn't mean you have an equal mastery of Wind Release techniques!"

Baki made a more complicated set of hand seals, and sent a miniature tornado directly at Asuma. The wind kicked up sand as it went, rocketing toward the Konoha shinobi and filling the air with grit. Asuma shimmered out of existence and appeared on the other side of the arena, but Baki followed with another wind tornado. Soon the entire arena was obscured by the sand billowing in the air.

Baki's voice rang out, though because it was muffled by the sand the sound barely reached Kakashi's ears. "You're out of your element, Sarutobi! I was raised in the desert, and the sand is my home. I know how to fight blind, and find my opponent using the almost invisible signs of his presence."

"I don't need to find you," Asuma's voice answered from somewhere inside the storm cloud. "As long as you're in this sand you can't escape!"

In the center of the sand cloud Kakashi began to make out an orange glow. In seconds the glow had spread, and became recognizable as fire. It super-heated the sand, turning the entire arena into a death-trap of burning ash.

_That's a killing technique if I've ever seen one, _Kakashi thought. _What will the Kazekage do if his lieutenant is killed?_

But when the technique dispersed Baki was still standing, though he looked considerably singed. Asuma was standing unharmed in the center of the arena, looking smug.

"Tough luck, Baki," Asuma said. "My secondary affinity is fire, so you probably shouldn't try that little Sandstorm jutsu again. I'll just use the Burning Ash jutsu, and then all of the wind chakra you use will just fan the flames."

Baki was breathing heavily, but to Kakashi's experienced eye he seemed largely unhurt. He must have protected himself from the flames somehow, possibly by kicking up sand to create a concentrated shield.

Baki shook a few grains of heated sand off of his flak jacket. "It appears that I'm at a disadvantage with ninjutsu. No matter, I'm more of a close-range fighter anyway."

He drew a sword from its holster on his back, swinging it a few times through the air. Asuma took his trench knives out once again, and set himself in his preferred taijutsu stance. "I like a good taijutsu brawl myself. Bring it on, ugly!"

Baki charged, and started swinging his sword before he came within range of Asuma.

_Shit, _Kakashi thought, _he can extend his sword with his wind chakra, creating invisible attacks! _If he'd had his sharingan the attacks would have been as clear as day, and he could have easily dodged them. As it was, Kakashi was as clueless as anyone else, and had to hope that Asuma would be able to dodge the attacks without being able to see them.

But Asuma's trench knives proved equal to the task. They glowed with Asuma's blue chakra and made frenzied patterns in the air around his head, keeping the invisible blades of wind from killing him.

Baki brought his sword to rest, and gave Asuma a half-bow of respect. "I congratulate you. No one has ever survived my Wind Blade jutsu before, let alone escaped unscathed."

Asuma shrugged. "I use the same kind of attack, so it wasn't too difficult to dodge. Now let's see you handle a dose of your own medicine!" He charged, quickly closing the rest of the distance to the Suna jonin.

What followed was one of the strangest fights Kakashi had ever seen. Asuma and Baki danced around each other, slashing and hacking with their respective weapons, yet never actually making contact.

Kakashi bit his lip, once again wishing for the sharingan's ability to see chakra. Without that ability, he had no idea of knowing who was gaining the upper hand. Both shinobi were using wind chakra to extend the reach of the weapons, and so their attacks were virtually invisible to any onlookers. But which would prove superior: Baki's Wind Blades or Asuma's Flying Swallow technique?

Murmuring voices from the side drew Kakashi's attention momentarily away from the fight. "What the hell's going on?" one of the masked children asked. "They're not even hitting each other!"

A second masked figure, this time one with long, blond hair and a feminine-sounding voice, hit the first child on the back of the head. "Are you stupid? They're both Wind-style users. Their attacks extend past their actual blades."

"Wait, so they're both defending against attacks they can't actually see?"

"That's right," a third masked figure answered. "It's amazing that they can keep such a fight going. They have superb skill and control."

"Wow…" the first voice said. "I can't believe it!"

Kakashi hid his grin. It looked like Asuma wouldn't have much trouble winning these kids over, provided he managed to win the fight. Kakashi turned back, hoping to see that Asuma had finally gained the upper hand. Instead, he saw that the two jonin were still going at it, neither one with a clear advantage.

Both had cuts all over their body, where they had been unable to keep the other's wind blades from scoring hits. Asuma jumped back to gain some breathing room, and Baki decided not to follow. They both backed a few steps away, breathing heavily.

Asuma broke the silence. "You're good, Baki. You're damn good."

The Suna jonin drew in a few deep breaths, and let them out slowly. "You as well, Sarutobi. I am more than convinced of your suitability."

Asuma hooked one thumb in the direction of the Kazekage. "Too bad that's not enough for the Sandman over there. How about a deal? We're both low on chakra, and if we keep pulling out all the stops one of us is going to get hurt. Let's finish this with taijutsu only. No weapons, no tricks."

Baki looked at Asuma suspiciously. The Konoha jonin held out his hands, and let his trench knives fall to the sand. Then Asuma kicked them a good ways behind him. "Ok?"

Baki nodded, and sheathed his sword. Kakashi almost chuckled. _Sucker._

"Now!" Asuma yelled. There were two explosions of sand, one on each side of Baki, and two shadow clones rose up and charged. They didn't try to attack Baki, but instead ran around him. The ninja wire they held between them wrapped itself around the Suna jonin securely, trapping his hands against his sides.

The real Asuma charged at the same time, and came to a stop with a kunai pressed to Baki's throat.

"Game's up, friend."

Baki sighed. "I surrender," he shouted, raising his voice to carry easily to the stands. He looked reproachfully at Asuma. "That was quite an underhanded trick."

"Of course," Asuma replied easily. "Those masked bodyguards around the Kazekage are the kids, right? I could never forgive myself if I gave them the impression that it's ok to fight fair."

"I'll admit, I thought you were too low on chakra for a trick like that," Baki said thoughtfully. "Otherwise I would never have let my guard down."

Asuma grinned. "I _was _too low on chakra. But I made those clones back when you covered the area in sand, and had them hide until the right moment. I just needed you to put your sword away, because if you'd had it you would have been able to cut through the ninja wire."

"I have been well and truly defeated." Baki eyed the kunai under his chin wryly. "Now, would you mind putting that away and freeing me from this wire? I'll already have a hard enough time with the genin now that they've seen me get defeated."

"Of course." Asuma's clones freed Baki, and he stood up a little shakily next to Asuma. The two jonin face the Kazekage, who stood up from his seat.

"An excellent battle," he declared in a carrying voice. "Sarutobi Asuma, you are now officially a captain of Sandstorm, an elite military force that exists independently from the rest of my military and answers only to me. The children you're looking for serve in that outfit. I trust their excellent service record will only improve under your guidance."

Asuma and Baki bowed together, then turned away from the Kazekage. "So we'll be working together," Asuma noted. "I look forward to sparring with you in the future."

Baki held out his hand, and shook Asuma's heartily. "I look forward to it as well. Undoubtedly I, as well as the genin, have much to learn from you about underhandedness and fighting dirty."

Asuma laughed out loud, his deep voice echoing off of the bleachers. "Don't worry, Baki! Two months with me and Sandstorm will be the trickiest, most despicable force of shinobi the world has ever seen!"

"I don't doubt it. Out of curiousity, who is the shinobi you came here with? His injuries look grave indeed."

Asuma looked at Kakashi, who waved languidly from the bleachers. "That's Hatake Kakashi. I bet you've heard of him."

Baki gasped, no doubt shocked that the famed Copy-nin was now a cripple missing an eye.

"He knows a lot about the Uchiha, and will be invaluable in any dealings with Konoha. Jiraiya and I were hoping he'd be able to heal while he was here. His chakra's been sealed away too, so he won't be able to manipulate chakra until Jiraiya returns and unseals it."

Baki looked very thoughtful. "Might I speak to him? I know someone he might be interested to meet."

"Of course!" Asuma gestured at Baki to follow. "Let's go."

The two jonin jumped up to the bleachers and made their way over to Kakashi. The Kazekage and the Council were already leaving, followed by the masked genin.

Kakashi shook Baki's hand, whistling as he saw up close just how roughed up the two jonin were. "That was quite a fight. I was glad to see it."

"Thank you," Baki returned. "That means a lot, coming from a shinobi of your reputation. I understand, however, that you're currently operating at less than full capacity."

Kakashi eyed Baki wryly. "I suppose that's one way of putting it. One eye, one leg, and no chakra certainly isn't my idea of 'full capacity.'"

Baki ducked his head, wordlessly acknowledging the bitterness in Kakashi's voice. "Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done for your lost eye. Not even the best of our medics have found a way to manufacture eyesight. But as for your chakra and your leg, there I believe we _can _help you."

Asuma and Kakashi both fixed their attention on Baki.

"Chiyo baa-sama, the most respected kunoichi of our village, is more than capable of unsealing your chakra so you can once again use the ninja arts. Not only that, but she herself has a functioning prosthetic limb. If she is so inclined, she can make you a leg that will work just as well as the old one."

Asuma had to look away from the painful look of hope in Kakashi's eyes. The emotion was too strong, too full of longing.

"I don't know if she'll agree to help you," Baki said, gesturing apologetically with his hands. "She has been living in seclusion for a long time, and she lived through a time when Konoha shinobi were only enemies. But if you can convince her, there is nothing stopping you from becoming a shinobi once again."

"Where does this Chiyo live?" Asuma demanded. "We'll go there right away!"

To Asuma's intense surprise, Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, my friend. Nobody ever got anywhere by rushing down the road of life. Let's go home, get you cleaned up, and plan our approach. This Chiyo probably won't agree to help me right off the bat. It's a good thing I'm so devilishly charming."

Then Kakashi shook hands once again with Baki, and began walking back in the direction of the Kazekage's compound. Asuma saw him take an orange book out of his flak jacket, and start reading as he walked. As Asuma hurried off after his friend, he couldn't suppress a satisfied chuckle.

Kakashi was back.

oOoOo

"Careful! Control the power, don't let it control you. Mold the fox's chakra to your will!"

Naruto listened to Fugaku with half an ear, the general's voice registering faintly in the background. "Easy for you to say," Naruto muttered. He could feel the strength of the Kyubi flaring up inside of him like a volcano. Controlling it was kind of like surfing on a wave of lava; one slip, and you would be burnt to a crisp.

Still, Naruto hadn't lost control yet. He felt the physical changes that always occurred when he tapped the fox's chakra. His nails were lengthening, and his senses became heightened. The emotional turbulence was much more subtle, but Naruto definitely noticed the suppressed rage that bubbled up along with the chakra. Even though he was just barely scraping the surface of the Kyubi's power, he could feel the alien influence of his prisoner's rage.

By now, Naruto recognized when his emotions began to reflect the spillage of his prisoner's chakra. He could control himself, but the more chakra he drew the harder it became. And day in and day out, General Fugaku made him draw on more chakra. Naruto had been training for two weeks already, and every day he pushed his limits a little farther.

The general stood at ease, pointing his cane at Naruto. "Once you've drawn enough to create a cloak, start the routine."

Naruto grimaced, but continued to draw more chakra. He knew the exact moment when one of the tails materialized, because it happened at the same time as a surge of hate that nearly made him lose control. But Naruto fought tooth and nail, and exerted his will-power over the powerful emotions. _He _was in control of his feelings, not the fox!

When Naruto was sure he was as stable as he could be with the Kyubi's chakra racing through him, he began the obstacle course that he and General Fugaku had painstakingly created. There were huge boulders, straw dummies, and small targets hanging from trees. Naruto sprang into action.

The boulders were the first to go. Naruto shattered three of them into tiny pieces, each with one direct punch. The hanging targets were tiny, no larger than the palm of his hand, but with his enhanced senses they were easy to hit. The strength with which he threw his kunai at the targets ripped them entirely off of the branches, and carried them many yards away. Finally Naruto turned to the dummies, and vanished in an orange flash. A second later he was crouched in front of General Fugaku. There was a muffled _thump_ as the severed heads of the dummies hit the ground, all having fallen at virtually the same time.

General Fugaku gave Naruto what, for him, passed as a smile. "Excellent. Your control is improving. It's not about how much chakra you can use, it's about how much you can use _safely_. That means not sacrificing any of your situational awareness, or your technical skill. Now, let's see if you can control four tails."

Naruto bowed and stood up, preparing to attempt what he hadn't been able to manage so far: a manifestation of four tails. He took a deep breath, and began to call on his chakra. Immediately the rage intensified, and the power rushing through him became physically painful. The chakra cloud covering him began to burn, damaging his skin almost faster than his regenerative abilities could heal him.

_That's two tails… _Naruto thought, gritting his teeth as he battled for control. _Now three… _The rushing in his ears completely blocked out what Fugaku was saying, and Naruto's vision began to black out. He could feel the Kyubi's chakra wanting to emerge, _demanding _to emerge, but he wouldn't let it. Naruto felt like a sieve held under a waterfall. He struggled to let just a thin stream of chakra through, when an entire river of it threatened to wash him away.

_That's it! The fourth tail! _But just as Naruto realized he'd brought out four chakra tails, he lost his tenuous grip on the Fox's chakra. It poured through him in waves, obliterating his sense of self. There was only the pain… and the rage.

Naruto tilted his head back and roared, chakra flaring up from his body like a beacon.

General Fugaku stepped forward, and his pupils began whirling in a swirl of red and black. "**Mangekyou!**" he shouted, and immediately Naruto froze. The swirling maelstrom of the Kyubi's chakra collapsed in on itself, and the four chakra tails disappeared into Naruto's body. The blond genin slumped forward on his face, unconscious.

Fugaku limped forward until he was standing over Naruto. He poked the boy in the side of the head with his metal-tipped cane.

"Wossat?" Naruto raised his head blearily. "General…"

"You did it," General Fugaku said gravely. "Four tails manifested, right before you lost control."

Naruto looked anything but happy. "I lost control again… if it had been a battle, I might have hurt my teammates."

General Fugaku helped the genin to stand up. "Naruto, you have to understand that this is a slow process. You won't master the Kyubi's chakra overnight. And while I'm here, the Demon Fox won't be able to wrest control from you."

"But General," Naruto protested, "you won't always be able to suppress the Kyubi's chakra for me."

Fugaku rapped him on the head with his cane. Naruto rubbed the tender area gingerly, suppressing a yelp of complaint. After two weeks, he was more than used to Fugaku's favored rebuke. "Trust the Hokage, Cadet! He wouldn't waste his time creating a useless weapon."

"I know, I know."

General Fugaku gave Naruto a searching glance. "How are you feeling? Well enough for your session with the doctors?"

Naruto groaned, but nodded. He hated those sessions. Madara's medical shinobi would injure him in a hundred different ways, then take exact notes on how long it took him to heal. Last time they'd even replaced the bone marrow in his little finger. When he asked what they could possibly hope to learn from that, they'd said something about testing "integration of foreign cell tissue." After every session he was drained of chakra, and felt even worse than after training with General Fugaku.

One thought cheered Naruto up, and made even the prospect of hours of inventive torture bearable: tonight he was going to meet Hinata again. Even though he'd only met the servant girl the day before, he was fascinated by her. At first Naruto had thought she was scared of him, because she shrank away from him and didn't meet his eyes.

But she had said she enjoyed spending time with him, and even risked getting scolded for finishing her chores late in order to talk with him. Near the end of their impromptu meal, she'd even trusted Naruto with her secret. He admired her for wanting to learn how to fight, and promised not to betray her secret to anyone.

It was a shame that Hinata's family had been traitors, Naruto thought. She was such a nice girl, and deserved better than life as a servant. Hinata didn't say anything, but Naruto knew it must be a hard life. He wondered if it might be possible to say something to Madara about it. But for now he was going to enjoy her company, and learn more about her.

Hinata had promised she would meet him again that night, in the same spot near the Naka river. Naruto was looking forward to teaching her some of the basic ninja arts, like tree-walking and the clone jutsu.

Naruto knew, though he didn't know how he knew, that he had to keep his meetings with Hinata a secret. For reasons he didn't understand, she would get in trouble if people knew they were meeting. And for some reason he felt uncomfortable about telling his friends. He wasn't sure Akemi or Takeshi would understand why he was so drawn to her.

To tell the truth, Naruto wasn't sure why himself. All he knew was that she was the first person to accept him since Akemi and Takeshi, and when he was with her he felt peaceful. He felt like a normal person, who didn't have to worry about controlling a demon or the right way to rule a village. And as incomprehensible as it was to Naruto, Hinata seemed to enjoy being around him too.

So it was that Naruto went on his way to Madara's Tower with a smile on his face, and a bounce in his step. Just a few hours and he'd be able to see Hinata again.

oOoOo

Hinata looked at herself in the puddle of water on the floor. She was mopping the floor of the kitchen in the Uchiha Military Police compound, and had been for the last two hours. Only a few more minutes, and she would be done for the day. While her tired muscles cried out for rest, Hinata had not the slightest intention of listening to them. Naruto would be waiting for her.

Hinata put a hand to her hair, wishing she could wash it before she went to see Naruto. Then she blushed and brought her hand down. _Why would you care about being pretty? _she asked herself sternly. _It doesn't matter if you're pretty or not, you're just a servant. _Still, Hinata wished she didn't have to meet Naruto looking as bedraggled as the mop she carried.

When the clock on the wall showed that it was time for her to leave, Hinata put the mop and bucket away in the closet. Then she left, nodding politely to the head chef on her way out. A few blocks from the compound near Hokage's Tower which housed the servants, Hinata turned and ducked into a dark alley. With her byakugan activated, she made her way to one of the side gates out of Konoha. She avoided Uchiha patrols with ease, and vaulted over the wall with the ease of long practice. The young chunin guarding the gate didn't even notice her.

The sun was beginning to near the horizon when she found Naruto, waiting in the spot where they'd met the day before.

"You made it!" Naruto said, his face lighting up when he saw her.

Hinata nodded, the familiar blush creeping up her cheeks. She noted with concern that Naruto was as pale as he'd been yesterday, and his chakra levels were, if possible, even lower than before. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but knew that he would just shrug it off with a wave and a fake smile. Whatever he was going through, he either wasn't allowed or didn't want to talk about it.

Naruto jumped in to fill the growing silence. "I was wondering if you wanted me to show you some ninja techniques. It'll be our secret!"

The last thing Hinata wanted was to tire Naruto out more, but he seemed determined to help, and she wanted nothing more than to learn how to be a ninja. "Ano, that would be… that would be nice. But only… if you really want to."

"Of _course _I want to! My old sensei used to say that the only way to really know something is to teach it to someone else. So helping you out will be good for me too!"

Naruto took Hinata's hand. She jerked at the contact, but didn't break away. His hand was warm where it gripped hers. He led her over to the nearest tree, and let go of her hand when they reached the trunk.

"This is the first chakra control exercise I ever learned," Naruto declared. "You have to let a controlled stream of chakra out through your feet, so that you stick to the tree. Eventually you'll be able to walk up it, but it's easier if you get a running start."

Hinata regarded the tree with trepidation. Could she really walk up it? She had a sense that this was an important moment, that climbing this tree meant more than just controlling her chakra. This was more than shadow-boxing, or using her jyuken to knock low-hanging leaves off of trees. If she did this, it could mean death for her, and punishment for Naruto. But if she could master tree-walking, there was no telling what she might be able to do.

She stepped back, and activated her byakugan. With it she could see the flowing lines of her own chakra, as it raced through her body all the way to her feet. _A steady stream from the feet, _she reminded herself. _Right._

Hinata ran at the tree, and jumped feet-first when she was close enough. Her feet hit the trunk and kept on running, and immediately Hinata could feel the flow of chakra giving her purchase on the rough bark. About ten feet up she felt the stream of chakra falter, but she pushed more through and kept running. In a few seconds she was out of breath and shaky, but she was secure on the top branch of the tree.

Naruto let out a cheer – though it was a very _quiet _cheer, Hinata noted with approval – and gestured at her to come down. Hinata was filled with exhilaration, and perhaps a slight wish to show off for her new sensei. She walked down the tree, slowing her pace and making each step graceful and deliberate. Her byakugan was a great help, since using it made her see just how much chakra she needed, and allowed to keep the flow from her feet nice and steady. At the base of the tree she pushed off hard, turned a somersault in midair, and landed next to Naruto.

"Wow!" Naruto said, looking hugely impressed. "It took me a lot more tries than that!"

Hinata shrugged, her elation making her feel much more confident. "I have a good sensei."

Naruto grinned. "Nice try, Hinata, but that was all you. Come on, let's see what else you can do. I bet you'll be great at water-walking, too!"

He led her quickly over to the Naka river, and began explaining the principles behind water-walking. He was so excited that he talked too quickly, words tumbling over each other in his haste to get them out. Eventually Hinata understood what she was supposed to do, and in a short time she found herself standing on the water easily.

"Either you're the best student ever," Naruto said, "or I really _am _a good teacher!"

Hinata kept training until well after midnight, absorbing the lessons Naruto taught her like a sponge absorbs water. Eventually Naruto decided that she needed to rest, which was probably a good idea because her knees had begun trembling. Hinata didn't want to leave, and only the promise that he'd see her again the next day convinced her to go back to her quarters.

On her way back to Konoha, Hinata's head was filled with jutsus and chakra control exercises. For the first time in four years, she felt like a true Hyuga. But behind her happiness lay a dark truth. She didn't want to think about it, but it refused to leave her in peace. Hinata knew that with every step she took towards becoming the kunoichi she was meant to be, she took a step away from Naruto. Madara was her enemy, the man who'd murdered and enslaved her family. And Naruto was devoted to Madara.

Even if she learned how to fight, she and Naruto could only ever be on opposite sides of the battlefield. That was the truth that stared Hinata in the face, the stark reality from which she couldn't escape.

_But nobody knows what the future holds, _Hinata reminded herself. _There is no fate, only choice. And I choose to enjoy this time, no matter how brief it might be._

After safely avoiding the night patrols, Hinata reached the safety of the room she shared with Hanabi. Her byakugan showed her that all of the other servants were fast asleep. Hinata brushed her sister's dark hair away from her face, and kissed Hanabi gently on the forehead. Then she curled up under her own blanket, and waited for sleep's comforting embrace. It was a long time in coming.

**A/N: **A fairly short chapter, but I thought this was a good spot to end it. Next chapter Kakashi will see whether he can convince Chiyo to help him become a shinobi again, and the first storm clouds appear on the horizon for Naruto and Hinata. Remember to review!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **I have two books to read, a midterm essay to write, and a math problem set that I haven't started. The last thing I should be doing right now is writing this chapter, but then, nobody's perfect. Hopefully you'll all enjoy the results of my procrastination as much as I enjoyed procrastinating!

Originally this chapter was going to include Kakashi's visit to Chiyo, as well as his acceptance into Sandstorm. But since the section with Naruto and Hinata has blown up so much, I've decided to split it down the middle. Next chapter will cover only the events in Suna, with a little more character development for the Konoha orphans.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Chapter 16**

Hinata ran up the trunk of the tree, hiding a wince at the repetitive _thunks _of kunai digging into the bark inches from her feet. She pumped more chakra through her feet, and demanded more strength from her muscles, willing herself to outrun the projectiles. At the top of the tree was a long gash gouged into the wood with a kunai. When she reached the mark, Hinata kicked off and turned a single backflip before landing gracefully amidst the fallen leaves at the base of the tree.

Shuriken came flying from nearby trees. Hinata dodged to the left, flinging herself out of range of the weapons but also out of the protective cover of the trees. The Naka River flowed on to her left, and to avoid the next barrage of shuriken, Hinata pushed off with enhanced strength towards the water. When she landed, instead of falling feet-first she began to roll, so that she came into contact with the water at the tail end of a somersault. Instead of breaking the surface with a splash, she rolled on the water as though it were a cushion, supported by the chakra that she was channeling steadily from her neck, back, and legs.

Her single somersault brought her to the other side of the river, where she turned and looked back at the trees from which the shuriken had come flying. Suddenly, hand-sized targets materialized all at once, hanging down from branches or sticking up out of bushes. They all had sloppy red-and-white bulls-eyes painted on.

Without missing a beat Hinata ran back across the river, activating her byakugan quickly. She threw kunai and shuriken at the targets, which, thanks to the accuracy of her vision, hardly ever missed. When the last target had disappeared, a gigantic, heavily-muscled warrior with the red eyes of an Uchiha came barreling out of the undergrowth, a wickedly sharp katana held in his grip. Hinata faltered visibly at the sight, and stumbled a little, but regained her balance before her assailant reached her.

Her hands made a set of seals with practiced ease, and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Uchiha shinobi's downswing caught and stuck fast in a log. He tried tugging it out, but it wouldn't give. The Uchiha began swearing and jumping around comically as he shook the sword and the log attached to it; meanwhile, Hinata came out of hiding from behind a tree, and charged at the Uchiha from behind.

He freed his sword from the persistent log in time to whirl around, and raise his sword to parry her slash with a kunai. But instead of the harsh clang of metal meeting metal, the kunai passed through the sword without any resistance. The insubstantial clone finished the attack, driving its nonexistent blade into and through the Uchiha warrior's chest. But the real attack came from above, as Hinata used her clone's distraction to leap from a nearby branch.

Her kunai pierced the Uchiha's skull an inch or so above his ear, cleaving through bone and skewering the brain. Then her opponent disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving her coughing in the sudden chakra-infused shroud of white.

The sound of clapping met Hinata's ears. When the smoke cleared, she saw Naruto approaching from deeper in the forest. A happy smile wreathed his face, and his approval warmed Hinata's heart.

"That was great, Hinata! You pass the Cadet survival test with flying colors. You did great at tree-climbing, advanced water-walking, marksmanship, and the Substitution and Clone jutsus, all in a combat situation. If you were an Uchiha, you'd be an official Cadet, no problem!"

Hinata had been grinning back at Naruto, but at his last sentence she looked away. It was bad enough that the two of them were separated by so much, so why did Naruto have to point it out by bringing up the Uchiha? Naruto began to look uncomfortable.

"Uh, I maybe shouldn't have made my clone look like an Uchiha officer… it's just, that's how our exam went, and I wanted to make it realistic…"

Hinata shook her head, waving off his bumbling, if sincere, attempt at an apology. "That's all right, Naruto, I understand."

Although, if truth be told, it really wasn't that all right. Hinata had been surprised by the surge of hatred that had swept through her when she saw the Uchiha officer charging at her. Even though, objectively, she knew that it was just one of Naruto's clones, she had taken an almost unholy joy in the feeling of resistance that met her kunai when she had struck true. At the moment of impact, she had seen once again the sight that still haunted her dreams, that of the dead bodies of her father and grandfather on the wooden floor of the Hyuga Compound. In that instant, as she was swinging her weapon down with all of her might, there'd been a part of her that really thought she was striking at the people who'd killed her family.

Thinking about how strong her reaction had been, Hinata could feel her gorge rise. It would never do to tell Naruto how she felt on this subject. It was his family, his friends, that she couldn't think of without wanting to weep, or rage, or lash out with all of her might. No, she could never tell him. He wouldn't understand.

Hinata gave Naruto a smile that she hoped at least looked sincere, since he was still looking at her with concerned eyes. "Honestly, Naruto, it's ok. I was just… surprised. I'm glad that I was able to perform all of the techniques correctly."

Naruto's smile reappeared, making Hinata wince internally at how easy it was to mislead her friend. If only he wasn't so good, if he didn't take so much honest and simple joy in the happiness of others, her life would be so much easier. She could live as the servant she was forced to be, and hate her masters in silence. But she couldn't bring herself to hate Naruto, even if in some ways it might have made things easier.

Naruto made a fist and punched the air triumphantly. "You didn't just do the techniques _correctly, _Hinata, you did them _awesome! _Seriously, my old sensei would have passed you in a heartbeat." Here Naruto broke off, showing an impressive ability to learn by recognizing that Hinata probably wouldn't want to hear anything about his old sensei.

He floundered for a moment, as if thinking of something to say. Then it came to him, and his face lit up like a light-bulb. "Hey, I've got an idea! Let's get some food to celebrate!"

"We brought food," Hinata reminded him. "We ate before we started training."

"I know that!" Naruto answered indignantly. "I mean let's go get food in the village."

Hinata paused, not wanting to embarrass or anger her friend by pointing out the obvious. But how could he be so dense, so oblivious, as to suggest that they grab a bite to eat like there was nothing wrong with that idea? It was almost like he was taunting her, by casually holding out one more thing that they could never do together.

"Ano, N- Naruto, I… don't think that would be a good idea…" she looked down at the ground, her face turning red in a mixture of sadness, embarrassment and anger.

"I know you don't want us to be seen together," Naruto said slowly, his voice making it clear that he wasn't trying to give offence. "But sometimes, I think you underestimate a lot of us. We're not the monsters that you think we are. I mean, I have a monster inside of me, but you gave _me_ the benefit of the doubt, right?"

Hinata stared at her friend, who was looking at her with guileless eyes that tore at her heartstrings. Inside her mind was raging. _Why are you so blind? _she wanted to yell. _How can you not see what I see? _But that would only hurt Naruto, which was the last thing she wanted. Still, she couldn't, she absolutely _couldn't_, pretend that she had anything but hatred for the Uchiha, not even for Naruto.

"You're not the only one who has a monster inside, Naruto. You're just in control of yours." Naruto's face fell at her grim words, but Hinata only turned away.

"I'll go in disguise." Naruto's voice shocked Hinata into turning back around. The blond genin lit up again, beginning to bounce with excitement at his plan. "I'll do a Transformation jutsu, just like when I imitate Captain Tanaki. We can go get some food, and it'll be totally fine. No one will know who I am, and we can spend a little bit of time together before I have to report back to barracks."

Hinata looked at Naruto, and her insides wrenched at his look of hope. This was important to him, and Hinata knew exactly how much Naruto had been sacrificing lately. He wasn't able to train with his friends, and he was constantly exhausted from his training, and from the effects of the experiments the medics kept performing on him. So even though Hinata had a bad feeling that she would come to regret her decision, she found she couldn't deny Naruto his request.

"All right, but only this once."

Naruto jumped into the air, pumping his fist in his traditional victory dance. "Yatta! Now, let's figure out what kind of disguise I should wear. Should I have a hooked nose?"

The blond genin chattered on, oblivious to the lines of worry that began to crease Hinata's face.

oOoOo

Naruto walked next to Hinata, keeping an eye peeled for the perfect place to eat. So far the two genin had walked almost four blocks, and Naruto hadn't encountered even one hostile glance. It was so refreshing he was almost tempted to go around in disguise all the time; however, that would be like giving up. He wouldn't ever stop being proud of who he was. Eventually, the villagers would see who he really was, and there would be cheers when he walked down the street. At least, that was what he kept hoping.

And even if they kept hating him, he would protect the village with every ounce of strength he possessed. Because a leader doesn't have to be liked, after all. Isn't that what Madara had taught him? A leader just has to know how to utilize everyone's strengths to accomplish his objective. And Naruto's objective was to keep everyone safe, no matter what the cost to himself.

A restaurant sign caught Naruto's eye, bringing him back to the moment. _Ichiraku Ramen_, the sign proclaimed in faded symbols. Suddenly Naruto had a flash of memory from years ago, of skipping out from under the nose of an irate Captain Tanaki, and eating at this very restaurant.

"Hinata," Naruto began, "how would you feel about ramen?"

He pointed the restaurant out to her. She nodded quickly, and, it seemed to Naruto, even before she had a chance to really look at the place.

"Ano, that's fine, Naruto. Let's eat quickly, I should be getting back…"

Naruto was a little disappointed in her lack of enthusiasm, but he plastered a big smile on his face, and started walking towards the counter. "Great! I know you're gonna love it, it smells delicious!"

And it did, too. Naruto could smell the simmering broth in the huge pots in the kitchen, and he even thought he could make out the individual scents of the spices and meats.

"What?" Hinata asked, confused. "I don't smell anything."

Naruto paused, confused. _Wait, the broth is all the way in the back. And the pork I smell isn't even cooking, it's just lying out somewhere. How can I smell it? Could it be…_

Naruto recoiled, almost snarling at the realization. All of his training with the Kyubi's chakra must be having side effects. The near-constant saturation with his prisoner's chakra was leaving residual traces; one of them must be an enhanced sense of smell. Naruto was almost afraid to look down at his hands, fearing that he might see that the nails were already growing longer. But they seemed fine, and so Naruto turned to Hinata with a huge, fake smile.

"I was just kidding, Hinata. I didn't smell anything, I've just been here before so I know it's good. Come on, let's go eat!"

Half to Naruto's relief, there was no one at the restaurant besides himself, Hinata, and the owner behind the counter. Although he was confident in his disguise, it might be better not to have to put it to the test. Also, if they ran into any experienced Uchiha, the chakra he'd used for his jutsu would give him away. When the two children took seats on adjacent stools, the owner turned to them with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, you two! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, the best noodle joint in town. I'm the owner, Teuchi. You're the first customers of the night, so we'll make your dinner extra-special. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, old man! How about four bowls of miso ramen? And two beef ramen, please!" Old Man Teuchi wrote down the order on a notepad, wisely not commenting on the size of the order. Naruto turned to his friend. "What do you want, Hinata?"

"O-one bowl of miso ramen is fine, thank you."

Teuchi bobbed his head genially. "All right, my daughter will get started on that right away. Ayame, order's up!"

Teuchi bustled to the back room, and came back a moment later without his pad. He turned his back to the two youngsters, and began to hum while polishing bowls. Naruto turned to Hinata, a little at a loss. There was so much he wanted to ask her, but at the same time he knew most of those subjects were dangerous ground. She would shut up faster than a clam if he asked her about her family, or what her life was like. Naruto could understand that; even if her family had plotted to eradicate the Uchiha, they were still dear to Hinata. Likewise, Naruto couldn't talk about his family or friends because it would hurt Hinata just as much. When they were training together he didn't need to think so much for things to say. They just worked on becoming stronger together. And when they relaxed in the woods it was like they were in another world, one in which nothing existed except for the two of them, and the wilderness. Conversation was never this hard outside of the village.

Out of desperation, he was about to make a comment on the weather, when Old Man Teuchi coughed, and turned around. "Hmph. You're quiet youngsters, aren't you?" He gave them both a roguish wink. "Are the two of you on a date, then?"

Hinata gave a startled _eep, _and Naruto was about to retort loudly when he thought better of it. What a perfect way to reinforce his cover identity!

"That's right, Old Man! We're definitely on a date. A guy, a girl, food – what else could it be?"

Hinata made a muffled sound, causing Naruto to look her way. He gave her a huge wink to show he was only joking, but then saw her face. It was a flaming red, which made him feel ashamed. He'd made that up without thinking about her feelings. Maybe she didn't want him saying it was a date, even if it was only just pretend. He shouldn't have said anything without her permission.

"I m-mean," he stuttered, "not a date. It's not a date at all. I never asked you, so it's not."

Hinata stared straight at the wood of the counter, and muttered something too soft to make out. Teuchi laughed out loud.

"I was just poking fun, kids. Please forgive me, it was very rude of me. To make up for it, how about the ramen's on the house?"

Naruto's head swung as if on a swivel. "Really? Thank you thank you thank you! Wow, I can't wait!"

Just then, a girl who must have been Teuchi's daughter Ayame came out of the kitchen carrying their order. She placed six bowls in front of Naruto, and one in front of Hinata.

They both dug in, and Naruto noted happily that Hinata ate almost as fast as he did. She must have really worked up an appetite while training that day. He surreptitiously pushed one of his bowls of miso over to her, and waved her off when she tried to return it. They both began to slow down, Hinata on her second bowl, and Naruto on his fourth. Old Man Teuchi began to talk with them, telling stories of the founding of his ramen shop.

"…And then it burned down in the Kyubi attack."

Naruto froze up, not noticing the concerned look Hinata shot him at the mention of the demon fox. But Teuchi continued, unconcerned.

"So we rebuilt it from the ground up, and here it's been ever since! And here it'll stay, while there's a single ramen-lover left in Konoha."

"Well then, Old Man, you don't have to worry!" Naruto declared. "Even if nobody else comes, I'll keep you in business all by myself!"

Teuchi laughed openly. "That's mighty kind of you! Now, I've talked at you long enough. I was so happy to have customers that I got carried away. Let me take those empty plates for you, and I'll leave you two alone."

When Teuchi was back in the kitchen, Naruto turned to Hinata with a smile. "He's a nice guy, right?"

Hinata looked back, still blushing just a little. "Very nice. A little… talkative, though."

Naruto nodded agreement. "He reminds me of a guy I met on my last mission. A bridgebuilder named Tazuna. They both like to tease, but they're really nice. Can you believe he didn't make us pay for dinner?"

Hinata shook her head, and for the next half hour the two children just talked. It was mostly silly topics, like favorite foods and where was the best place in the village to see the sunset. But Naruto had the pleasure of seeing Hinata gradually relax, and even laugh genuinely a time or two. When the street-lamps turned on, though, Naruto reluctantly agreed with Hinata that it was time to leave.

"I'll walk with you a ways, all right?"

Hinata nodded her acceptance, and the two of them walked silently away from the restaurant. They didn't sense the thoughtful glance of Old Man Teuchi, who watched them walk away with a concerned frown.

They were only a block away from the restaurant when disaster struck. Naruto and Hinata rounded a corner, and came face-to-face with a squad of patrolling cadets. Naruto pulled his cloak tighter, hoping that the younger Uchiha wouldn't think to make him take it off. If they did, the tell-tale glow from his Transformation jutsu would give him away.

He looked at Hinata, who had stiffened like a deer trapped in a spotlight. He squeezed her hand, and they kept walking resolutely, not meeting their eyes but trying not to seem suspicious.

Naruto's heart sank when he realized who they'd run into. It was Genji's squad, the most senior Cadets on the force. Genji, Katsu, and Masao, the all-male team that would probably soon become full-fledged officers of the Military Police. As far as Naruto was concerned, they were little better than bullies with the strength to back up their threats. Katsu and Masao were both fourteen, a little over a year older than Naruto. Genji was sixteen, and secure in his own strength. During their years training to become Cadets, it had always been Genji that tormented the younger trainees.

All three sported the dark hair and eyes that were characteristic of the Uchiha. Genji was much broader and muscular than the other two, and towered over his teammates at six feet tall. Katsu was the smallest of the three, standing only an inch taller than Naruto. Masao was in the middle height-wise, but the vicious scar running down his left cheek made him look almost as imposing as Genji.

Genji's voice rang out, crushing Naruto's hopes that they might pass unchallenged. "Ho there! Halt, and be recognized."

Naruto and Hinata stopped walking, while Genji walked forward holding a torch. He looked otherworldly and menacing in the wavering halo of light, and Naruto felt himself tensing to spring.

"What have we here?" Genji mused, looking both of them up and down. "A Hyuga, eh? Branch or Main?"

"M-main, Uchiha-sama," Hinata sputtered.

Genji smirked. "Ah, a servant. Why aren't you back in your quarters, I wonder? It's almost curfew."

"I was just selling some of my embroidery in the market-place, sir. We have some free time in the evening."

"Don't talk back to me, bitch," Genji snapped, which made Naruto tense even more. The slight motion drew Genji's attention to Naruto. "And who are you?"

"H-hayate," Naruto mumbled, throwing his voice. "Just a villager from the market. I didn't feel right about letting her walk back alone, it being so close to dark and all."

Genji chuckled, drawing laughs from his two younger teammates. "Well, isn't that kind of you. Very chivalrous, too. You're right; a lady should never go out unaccompanied. Don't worry, we'll take it from here."

Without warning, he put a hand on Hinata's wrist and gave a quick jerk, pulling her off-balance. "N-" Hinata began, then caught herself. "Hayate!"

"What are you doing?" Naruto demanded.

Katsu and Masao stepped forward to get between Naruto and Genji. The oldest Cadet laughed. "Just offering my services as an escort. Come on, Katsu, Masao. Let's get this lady back to her home."

He lowered his voice, but Naruto's newly enhanced sense of hearing caught his next words perfectly. "…and to think I didn't want to take sentry duty tonight! She's a pretty little thing, too."

If Naruto had been quicker to process those words, nothing could have saved Genji. He would have been a smear on the cobblestones, a victim of the murderous anger that was just beginning to well up inside of Naruto. But before Naruto reached the point where his control over the Kyubi's chakra snapped, a green blur came hurtling through the night.

"_Dynamic Entry_!" Immediately after the shout came two _cracks, _and Katsu and Masao were sent crashing to the ground. Naruto could just make out a boy around his own age, dressed in green spandex and sporting a tremendous bowl cut, before there was another blur of motion. The newcomer's foot moved so fast Naruto couldn't even track it, but its target became clear when Genji's head snapped sideways with the force of the blow. Hinata stumbled, but the strange boy caught her before she fell.

"Never fear, fair lady, Lee is here to protect you!" The so-called Lee gave her a thumbs-up before turning to the three Cadets, who were picking themselves up with muttered curses. Naruto had to admit he was impressed. Katsu and Masao had large red marks on their faces, which would definitely turn into spectacular bruises. Genji even looked a little woozy, and he spat out a gob of blood.

"Damn it, Lee!" A feminine voice from the surrounding darkness caused everyone to turn their heads. A boy and a girl walked into the street from a side alley, the light of the street-lamps lighting up their faces. The girl had her hair pulled back in two buns, and the boy had the white eyes of a Hyuga.

"What the hell is this?" Genji shouted.

Lee whirled on the Cadet and began shouting furiously. "How dare you attack a defenseless woman? Such an unyouthful thing is hard to imagine. I will not let you harm her!"

Neji stepped forward, his motion drawing the Cadets' attention and cutting Lee off. Neji bowed low. "I beg you to forgive my teammate, Uchiha-sama. He forgets himself."

Genji stood up to his full height, glaring at Lee through slitted eyes. "He certainly does. But I will remind him." Genji made a series of hand seals that Naruto recognized with a feeling of dread. Before he could even move, Genji shouted out, "_Activate Seal_!" The Seal burned into Lee's forehead began to glow with an unholy light.

From Lee's open mouth came a sound unlike any that Naruto had ever heard. It was so anguished, so full of bestial suffering and pain, that it seemed to have been ripped from his very soul. Lee fell to his knees, his veins bulging in his neck, as Genji continued the torture unmercifully.

"Lee!" The girl started forward, only to freeze as Katsu finished the same set of hand signs. A second scream joined Lee's, filling the night air with the sound of suffering. The Hyuga boy hadn't even moved, but he didn't escape. Masao activated his Seal, and the boy began to shake violently. He held out for a few seconds, but then he too could hold out no longer. The voices of the three Sealed genin blended together in a harmony from hell, creating a sound that pierced Naruto's heart worse than it could ever hurt his ears.

The timely arrival of the boy with the bowl-cut had given Naruto the distance he needed to regain control of himself. He had looked at the situation logically, realizing that following his instincts and attacking Genji wouldn't help anyone. It was the lesson he had learned in the Land of Waves; namely, that going berserk often only hurts the people he wanted to protect. How could he best help Hinata, and the genin who had come to her rescue? After all, that kick had been adequate reason to activate the Seal. It had been an attack on a Cadet, even if the attack had been warranted as far as Naruto was concerned. If Naruto didn't do something quickly, all three of the genin would die, and Genji might not suffer any consequences at all.

So Naruto did the only thing he could think of: he ran away. Hinata's eyes looked at him in despair, full of anguish and accusation, but Naruto just kept running. When he was out of sight he shed his cloak into a gutter, and used the Body Flicker jutsu to transport himself to the opposite side of the confrontation, using rooftops as anchors for his high-speed jumps.

Then, scarcely a second after he'd left, he walked into the light of the street-lamps from his new direction, this time without his villager disguise.

"What's going on here?" Naruto demanded, his voice as hard and cold as ice. "Cease immediately, that's an order!"

Katsu and Masao saw who he was, and released the torture jutsu right away. Genji held on for another few seconds, before ending the jutsu with a dismissive snort. Lee and his two teammates sank to the ground, twitching uncontrollably. Naruto walked up to Genji, until he was right in front of the larger boy's nose.

"What happened?" he asked, speaking very slowly and clearly. Genji stood up in a lazy approximation of attention.

"We were escorting the servant girl back to her quarters, when this team of Sealed trash jumped us. We were administering an appropriate punishment."

Naruto allowed a little of the Kyubi's strength to flow through him. With his left hand, he reached up to grab the older boy's shoulder. Genji let out a pained cry as Naruto dug his fingers in. With his right hand, Naruto administered a single punch to Genji's stomach. The blow was precise, impersonal, and effective. Genji coughed up blood, and his teammates let out cries of shock.

"Let's get one thing straight," Naruto said, a snarl latent in his voice. "I don't appreciate being lied to. I saw the whole thing before I decided to step in. Let me remind all three of you that we are Cadets of the Military Police. Our purpose is to uphold law and order, not to flaunt our power over others. And the penalty for rape, as you know, is gelding. A penalty which, if I ever hear that you treat _anyone _the way you were treating this servant girl, I will be extremely happy to carry out myself. Is that understood?"

Katsu and Masao snapped out a quick, "Yes, sir." Genji, on the other hand, stared at Naruto defiantly. The blond Cadet transferred his left hand to Genji's throat. With no apparent effort, he lifted the larger Cadet several inches into the air, though he had to stand on tiptoes to do so. Naruto squeezed until Genji's face turned white, then released him. Genji collapsed on the ground, coughing and massaging his throat. He looked up at Naruto with a mixture of hate and fear. "Understood… sir."

"Right, then." Naruto paced back and forth in front of the three Cadets. "Continue your rounds. If I hear anything about this night, anything at all, I'll make good on my promise."

"But Naruto-" Katsu swallowed when Naruto looked directly at him. "I mean, sir… what about the boy? He attacked all three of us. The punishment is death."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "The punishment is whatever I say it is. I will take his punishment into my own hands, it's no longer any of your concern. Now go, before I change my mind about gelding you personally."

The three Cadets saluted, and left at a marching pace that was almost a run. Naruto was afraid to look at Hinata, for fear that he would see disgust in her eyes. How could he hope to convince her to give the Uchiha a chance, when they did something like this? Had Hinata been dealing with this all the time, with people who treated her like dirt?

Naruto helped the Sealed genin get to their feet. "I'm very sorry for what happened," he said gravely. "I promise there will be no consequences for what you did. You were protecting someone else, which is supposed to be our job."

Lee was the first to speak. His voice was a little shaky, but the activation of his Seal didn't seem to have caused him any lasting effects. "Thank you for your help. It is good to know that some Uchiha, at least, have not forgotten about the Flames of Youth."

"Lee!" hissed the girl on his team. "Watch your mouth! Don't forget your place."

Naruto waved his hand. "No, it's true. What Genji did to you all was despicable. I'm going to do my best to make sure that his team is sent on a border patrol mission for the next several years. Anyway, I hope you're all right."

The Hyuga boy looked at him with piercing eyes. "To whom do we owe our deliverance?"

Naruto frowned at the Hyuga. His eyes probably didn't notice a thing, and Naruto wondered if he'd made the connection between the cloaked villager who'd run away, and Naruto's miraculous appearance a second later. "I'm Uchiha Naruto, son of the Hokage."

The girl gasped, and even Lee looked surprised. But the boy with the bowl cut recovered first. "It's very nice to meet you, Naruto. I'm Rock Lee, and these are my teammates, Tenten and Neji. The girl you saved is Neji's cousin, Hinata."

Naruto risked a quick glance at Hinata, who was staring fixedly at the ground. "I'm glad I could be of service. If you three wouldn't mind bringing her back to her home, I should get going. I want to get to Headquarters before those three finish their rounds, so they don't get a chance to tell their side of the story first, and gain support with their lies."

Rock Lee shook Naruto's hand. "Farewell, then. Let the Flames of your Youth continue to burn brightly."

"Uh, thanks I guess. You too! I wish we could have met under other circumstances. Hopefully we'll meet again sometime!"

Naruto ran off into the darkness, but he could feel the weight of two pairs of Hyuga eyes fixed on his retreating back.

oOoOo

Though the night was still warm, Hinata couldn't stop shivering. Her body was still in 'fight or flight' mode, and after the emotional roller-coaster she'd just been on her nerves were a wreck. First had been the danger she'd been in from the tall Uchiha Cadet. Hinata had never before felt herself in such immediate danger, or as helpless as she had in that moment. At least, not since the night her family was killed. It was humiliating how easily Genji had grabbed her. Even with Naruto's praise of her progress, she was still just a little girl who couldn't defend herself. To be frank, it pissed her off.

Then Lee had stepped in to help her, which had made Hinata even more scared and infuriated. She'd felt every scream from her helpless friends as if they were lashes across her own back. Then, the worst blow of all had come when Naruto had run away. For a second, Hinata had truly thought he was abandoning them. He had seen the truth about the Uchiha, and just didn't want to face it. If Naruto hadn't immediately reappeared, Hinata didn't think she would ever have been able to recover from that blow.

But even when Naruto stepped in to protect her friends, Hinata had felt uncomfortable. Who was this Naruto, with his cold voice and commanding demeanor? This wasn't her friend, who had picnics with her and rejoiced in her successes. This wasn't the Naruto that rejoiced in the happiness of others. This was a warrior, a cold killer, and a leader of men. Even as he fought for her friends' lives, Hinata couldn't help but think that _this _Naruto belonged to another world. So who was he really? Her friend… or the Uchiha captain?

Now, in his absence, Hinata didn't know how to feel. She was relieved, and scared, and just plain exhausted… There were too many feelings rushing through her to make sense of any of them.

Tenten took off her jacket, and used it to wrap up Hinata. "You've been through a lot, Hinata," the older girl said kindly. "Let's get you home."

Hinata ducked her head. "Thank you."

Lee cocked his head, still looking in the direction in which Naruto had left. "So that was the Hokage's heir. What power! How different he is from the rest of the unyouthful Uchiha."

Tenten shook her head darkly. "Don't fool yourself, Lee. Just because he stopped them from hurting Hinata doesn't make him a saint. He's still one of our masters, and the moment any of us crosses him we'll rue the day. That reminds me, Lee, I have something for you."

Lee looked over at her eagerly. "Oh? A present? What is it, I'm so excited!" Her left hook hit him flush in the jaw.

"That's for jumping in out of nowhere. How could you be so stupid?"

"But they were going to harm Hinata!" Lee protested. Tenten shook her head in despair.

"Lee, any attack on the Uchiha will result in your death. If you really wanted to stop them, you should have killed them quickly and silently, and hid the bodies afterward."

Lee looked horrified at this blunt language. "But how unyouthful! To kill people unawares."

"It's not just unyouthful," Neji added, "it's stupid. A missing patrol would result in a full-scale interrogation. Everyone on this street would be pulled in for questioning, until they confessed. Any Sealed shinobi in the area would be at risk, depending on whether Madara wanted to make an example to the rest of us. If attacking those genin was stupid, killing them would have been suicide… or murder, since it might not be us who would pay the price."

Lee looked ready to cry. "Then what should I have done?" he wailed.

Neji's eyes were unflinching. "Nothing. It is our destiny, and anything we do to try to change it just brings suffering down on more people. The only thing that would have made this night turn out better is if Lady Hinata had stayed at home."

Hinata jerked back as if she'd been struck. He was right… this was her fault. _But it's Genji's fault, too_, she thought stubbornly. Just because he could get away with murder didn't mean that he _should_. "I'm sorry, Neji," Hinata said, repressing the scorn she felt for her fatalistic cousin. "I will not be so foolish in the future."

"That is good to hear. Next time the Hokage's heir might not be so conveniently at hand, to save you from your own folly."

Hinata began to turn around, but Neji's hand caught her shoulder and held her fast. "I'm only saying this for your own protection. I do not want to see any more of my family hurt, and no one who bears the Seal is in a position to protect you, or anyone else in this village. So please, be more careful. And consider carefully, whether your actions are placing you in any unnecessary danger."

The slight emphasis in his voice, combined with the knowing look in his white eyes, told Hinata all she needed to know. Neji had seen through Naruto's disguise, and knew she was meeting with him. Would he tell anyone? No, not her cousin. He might believe it was their fate to be enslaved, but he wouldn't betray his nearest relation… would he?

For the moment she would take him at his word, and believe that he only wanted what was best for her. She stood up straight, and removed his hand gently from her shoulder. "I thank you for your kind concern. I promise you, in the future I will be more prudent."

And so she would. There would be no more jaunts into the village with Naruto, and she would never, ever walk the streets alone without remembering to activate her byakugan. But Hinata wasn't about to live her life in a cage of fear, no matter what Neji said about destiny. She would continue to meet with Naruto, and continue to train, so that one day no Uchiha brute would ever be able to lay a hand on her.

Still, as Hinata walked with Team Gai along the dimly-lit streets, she couldn't completely banish her misgivings. She kept seeing the expression on Naruto's face, as he held up Genji with one hand. It was cold, fixed, controlled. So different from the laughing face she had come to like more than she was willing to admit to herself. But was that face the real Naruto… or the mask?


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **There's going to be one more chapter in this arc, and it's going to end with a bang (hopefully). The fourth arc will feature, among many other things, the return of Team Missing-Nin. Kirigakure has a revolution in store, after all! Also in the next arc will be Hinata and Jiraiya, and Sandstorm's first A-rank mission. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any characters in this story.

**Chapter 17**

Kakashi and Asuma made their way through the streets of Suna, their new Sandstorm masks hiding their identity from the villagers wandering about their business. For Kakashi, it was almost as if he was back in Konoha, wearing the mask of an ANBU captain. But then the _clack_ of his makeshift walking stick against the packed sand underfoot would bring him back to reality. Asuma walked at his side, slowing his pace to match Kakashi's, and the two jonin ambled along in companionable silence.

Baki had given them directions to Chiyo's home, which was in one of the highest, remotest sections of the village. Apparently she lived alone with her brother, and the two of them spent their days fishing and reminiscing about the past. _Not a bad life, _Kakashi thought, _just as long as the past is one that you enjoy remembering._

"Be respectful," Baki had cautioned them, earlier that day. Chiyo and her brother were once two of the strongest shinobi in the entire village. Even in their old age, they were still dangerous. And it hadn't been so very long since Suna and Konoha had been openly at war. The unspoken _And soon will be again _had lingered in the air between the three jonin.

As they climbed higher up into the village, the houses began to thin out and the landscape became more and more rocky. Before long there were no houses left, and Asuma and Kakashi were walking alone along a winding path. Kakashi looked out at the desert, which, from this high up, spread out before his eyes like a golden sea. This country was as harsh as it was beautiful, and the land raised strong shinobi. But Kakashi missed the mottled greens of the forests in the Land of Fire, and the cool breezes that felt refreshing after training. Here the wind only kicked dust in your face, if you were foolish enough to leave it uncovered. Here the heat was a constant enemy, and you had to be constantly pushing yourself, willing yourself to endure.

Kakashi and Asuma rounded a corner, coming in view of a small house built almost as an extension of the rock face behind it.

"If we followed Baki's directions correctly, that'll be Chiyo's house," Asuma said cheerfully.

Kakashi put on a burst of speed, momentarily pulling ahead of Asuma. "Let's get me my chakra back!"

Asuma was at his side in an instant, slowing him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hold it, buddy. Remember we were going to be smart about this? Were you just planning on walking in there, and waving your walking stick at her until she unseals your chakra?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, giving Asuma his patented eye-smile. "Pretty much. I'll ask very nicely, and if that fails…" Kakashi winked at Asuma. "Then you can be more _persuasive_."

He shook off Asuma's hand, and continued forward towards the house. Though he didn't show it to Asuma, inside Kakashi was a quivering with apprehension. Inside that house was the means to get his life back, and his pride as a shinobi. Sure, Jiraiya would return and unseal his chakra eventually, but with the prospect of being healed right in front of him Kakashi couldn't bear to wait any longer. He moved resolutely toward the door, ignoring Asuma's shouted protest that he wasn't "about to threaten some old lady!"

Kakashi paused on the doorstep, and knocked on the door with his walking stick. _Thunk. Thunk. Thunk._

With bated breath, Kakashi heard a low murmur begin inside, and then the slow shuffling of a pair of feet. The door opened with a creak, bringing Kakashi face-to-face with a wrinkled old lady who barely came up to his waist. This must be Chiyo.

Kakashi was about to extend his hand, when a fierce light of recognition came into Chiyo's eyes, and rage suffused her features. "You!" she cried, "White Fang!"

The next moment Kakashi felt himself flying through air, propelled by Asuma's flying tackle. His shocked eyes registered a kunai flying through the air, glistening with some kind of liquid, that would have lodged in his chest if he'd stood there a moment longer. Kakashi hit the ground first, squashed between the hard ground and his savior's bulk. The two jonin rolled over each other for a few feet, until finally coming to a dusty stop a few yards away from the front porch.

The old lady jumped clear, to give herself more room to attack. If his life hadn't been in such immediate danger, Kakashi would have found his situation comical. But crippled as he was, with no chakra and only Asuma standing between him and certain death, he couldn't quite muster up a laugh at Chiyo's ferocity.

"I'll kill you for what you did to my son!" she cried. The next round of kunai came flying, this time decorated with explosive tags. Asuma bit off a curse and used the Body Flicker jutsu, managing to avoid the blasts. He stopped his high-speed escape on top of the roof of Chiyo's home. Kakashi silently applauded his friend's quick thinking. Chiyo was less likely to blow them up if she thought her house would be destroyed, too. At least, that's what Kakashi hoped.

"Wait! I'm not who you think I am! I'm not the White Fang!" Kakashi held his hands out in a placating gesture. Chiyo scoffed, then took a closer look. Her brows furrowed and she stared at the two shinobi on her roof, muttering something under her breath.

Then, to Kakashi's immense relief, she chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I guess you're not him at that. If I remember rightly, he died a while ago anyway. That's what the Bingo Books said. You look so much like him, I got a little carried away."

Kakashi motioned to Asuma to bring them down. Asuma gave him a look, as if to say, "Are you sure?" But Kakashi just nodded. This was definitely a complication for his plans, but his sense of justice wouldn't allow him to keep the truth from this woman. If she didn't want to help him because of what his father had done, that was her right.

When the two jonin were in front of her, and had brushed the sand off their flak jackets, Chiyo started asking questions. "So who are you two, and why come all the way up here?"

Kakashi answered first, knowing that Asuma wouldn't want to give away his identity. "This is Asuma, once of Konoha, now a proud shinobi of Suna. And I am Hatake Kakashi, the son of the White Fang."

Chiyo's eyes narrowed again, while Kakashi went down on one knee. It was difficult with only one leg, but he managed by clutching his walking stick with a death grip. "Honored Elder, I apologize for any harm that my family has brought yours. I know it doesn't change anything, but I am truly sorry."

Chiyo's eyes softened, bringing a small smile to her wrinkled mouth. "It's in the past, anyway. There was enough death on both sides of that war. And it would be the utmost hypocrisy from me, of all people, to think that the crimes of the parent should fall to the children. Were he still alive, I would never burden my son with the weight of my sins. Please forgive me, for attacking you so rudely."

Kakashi stood up, waving off Asuma's offer of assistance. "There is nothing to forgive."

Chiyo ushered both of them inside, where she introduced them to her brother. Ebizo looked up briefly from his fishing, but apparently the two jonin weren't enough to distract him from his favorite pastime. Kakashi was impressed at the miniature fishing hole; apparently, the house extended into the actual rock itself, and was situated above an underground reservoir.

After accepting Chiyo's hospitality, Kakashi began to tell his story. He began with the fall of the Third Hokage, his capture, and his long incarceration and torture at the hands of General Fugaku.

Chiyo followed along, nodding occasionally. "Most of what you've told me I've learned already," Chiyo began. "You see, Baki asked for my help in training some of the youngsters from Konoha. I didn't want to do it, but when Gaara himself came and asked me, so polite you'd never have known how he used to be, I couldn't refuse. When I first sealed the Shukaku into him as a baby, I never thought he'd have a happy life. But once those children showed up, it was like he suddenly learned how to live."

While this was certainly informative to Kakashi, who had had no idea that Suna possessed a jinchuriki, it wasn't exactly on topic. He coughed apologetically, trying to prompt the elderly kunoichi to get back to the current discussion. Chiyo blinked once, then caught on. "Right, Madara. Well, while I was teaching young Sakura medical ninjutsu and the art of poisons, she told me the tragic story about your village. It's certainly a terrible thing, when figures from the past show up where they have no place. This Madara has accomplished something evil and powerful, to be alive and well seventy years after he should be dead."

Kakashi took a sip from the glass of water that Chiyo had offered him. "I agree. And I would be only too happy to help your village put Madara exactly where he belongs: buried six feet underground. But to do that, I need to be able to mold chakra. Can you help me?"

Chiyo rubbed her chin, musing. "Well, I know the theory… I'm no Jiraiya, but I do know my way around seals…"

With tears welling in the corners of his eyes, Kakashi bowed his head to Chiyo. "Please, Honored Elder."

A second more of deliberation, and Chiyo came to a decision. She hopped up from her seat at the table with surprising dexterity. "All right, then. Come on, Ebizo, you lazy ass," she called to her brother. "We're going to make this man a shinobi again!"

"What?" Ebizo yelled crossly. "But I'm busy! Anyway, I thought we were done meddling in the affairs of the village?"

"Don't give me that line," Chiyo responded, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking stern. "We've been interfering ever since we helped Baki train the youngsters. Besides, I almost killed this man. Unsealing his chakra is the least I can do."

The old man put his fishing rod aside, and heaved himself to his feet, letting out a groan when his aching joints protested. "All right, all right. But I expect compensation for the fish I could be catching right now. Opportunity costs, you know. Nothing's free in this world."

Asuma had just begun to assure Ebizo that he would pay them, when Chiyo backhanded her brother so hard he fell over. "Hey!" he shouted, rubbing the back of his head. Kakashi noted with interest that Ebizo, too, seemed almost unnaturally spry for someone his age. "What was that for?"

"For trying to rob our guests!" Chiyo yelled back. "You haven't caught a fish for weeks, and besides, we're not charging a cent. Kakashi has been through quite enough, without paying off miserly codgers like you!"

Ebizo cowered before his sister's wrath, and held up his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say, sister dear. I'll get the table ready." He walked to a door tucked into a corner of the room, and closed it carefully behind him. Chiyo turned to Kakashi, and rolled up her sleeves with a businesslike air.

"Right, let's get started. I need you to take your clothes off, so I can draw the designs for unsealing."

Asuma coughed suddenly, and said weakly, "I'll, uh… go see if Ebizo needs any help." He walked briskly off after Chiyo's brother.

Chiyo cackled knowingly. "Men, always trying to be so macho. Don't worry, you can keep your skivvies on. The design is only for your torso, arms, legs, and head."

Kakashi quickly piled his clothes on the floor, and stood in front of Chiyo in nothing but his boxers, trying not to blush. Chiyo began making intricate designs with a delicate brush. The feel of the bristles against his skin was extremely ticklish, but he made sure to hold still after Chiyo hit him in the head when he moved.

"This Seal requires the utmost accuracy," she told him sternly. "If you mess it up just because you're ticklish, don't come crying to me."

After that, Kakashi was still as a stone. When Chiyo finished, Kakashi had black markings running down his arms and legs like inky vines, and wreathing his torso with overlapping rings. The brush marks went all the way up his neck, reaching around his face and meeting at his forehead, where Chiyo had drawn a star.

"There," she declared, putting the brush aside. "We're ready."

Chiyo led Kakashi to the door where Ebizo and Asuma had gone. Inside, the room was dark and bare, the walls on one side carved completely from stone. In the middle of the rom was a wooden table, old and dusty but covered in strange runes. Ebizo had lit candles in a pentagram shape on the table's surface, and now gestured Kakashi forward.

"Lie down flat on your back," the old man instructed Kakashi, "and don't knock over the candles."

Kakashi eased himself onto the hard surface, wondering at the fact that it wasn't cold. Chiyo and Ebizo stood on opposite sides of the table. "Stand back," Chiyo warned Asuma. "We have to generate a lot of chakra, and pour it through the design in just the right way. If you're too close, your chakra signature will disrupt the process."

Asuma gave Kakashi's shoulder a quick, awkward pat, then went over by the door. Kakashi closed his good eye, knowing that if he watched the procedure he would be too tense. The calmer he remained, the more chance there was that the unsealing would succeed.

If he had watched, Kakashi would have been amazed at the power that the two Honored Siblings gathered. Their hands glowed with green chakra, and the candles flared up in response to their power. When they were done gathering the necessary energy, Chiyo and Ebizo placed their hands on Kakashi's chest, allowing the chakra to flow into the seal on his body. The black ink became illuminated with a ghostly green glow, and the chakra raced throughout Kakashi's body, following the brushstrokes all the way to his fingers and toes. When the chakra reached Kakashi's head, the pain struck, obliterating everything else.

Kakashi yelled in anguish, his body arching involuntarily into the air. The siblings' steady hands anchored his limbs, keeping him from knocking over the candles, but Kakashi was insensible of anything but the agony. He could feel the chakra like an alien force sweeping through his body, kept at bay by the Chakra Seal the Uchiha had forced upon him. But the chakra wouldn't be denied. It battered at the seal, bit and tore at it like a wild animal, until Kakashi wasn't sure what would be destroyed first: the Chakra Seal of his body.

Then, all at once, like a balloon popping, all sense of resistance vanished. Chiyo's chakra made connection with his own, which rushed out in a haze of pain and ecstasy. Kakashi's eyes snapped open. He was back.

Kakashi pumped chakra through his body, reveling in his heightened senses. He could see the detail of the stone ceiling above him, trace the rough contour of the granite with his eyes. He could hear Asuma's quiet, indrawn breath. A tear rolled down Kakashi's eye, which he brushed away impatiently. _I will not cry again. Nor will I be caged. Madara, beware, the Wolf hunts _you _now._

Chiyo watched him with a critical eye. "Looks like it worked. Get up, then, you big lug."

Kakashi laughed brightly, and pushed off of the stone table with one leg. He pushed enough chakra to swing his body upward into a handstand, and pushed off of the table with both hands. With a quick twist in mid-air, he landed next to Asuma on one leg. The last Sarutobi grinned, and handed Kakashi his walking stick.

"Glad to have you back, Kakashi." Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Good to be back." He walked over to the siblings, who were supporting themselves by leaning on the table. The unsealing must have taken all the strength they could muster.

"Honored Elders, I can't thank you enough. I am forever in your debt. If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, all you need do is ask."

Kakashi waited while Chiyo took deep breaths, regaining her wind. "Actually," she replied, "there is something you can do."

Kakashi nodded his acceptance, and waited. When she could stand unaided, Chiyo pushed herself to her full height, and regarded Kakashi gravely.

"How do you plan on regaining your full strength?" she asked bluntly. "You are Sharingan Kakashi no longer, and a missing leg would be enough to ruin any shinobi's career. Even with your chakra, you stand little chance against even the weakest of the Uchiha."

"It is true," Kakashi acknowledge, "I'm operating at slightly less than full capacity." Kakashi grinned, remembering Jiraiya's words after he had rescued Kakashi from captivity. "But I'm crafty. I can find a way to offset my weaknesses."

"What if I were to offer you such a way?"

"Then I would most humbly accept."

"Well then," Chiyo began, "I'm sure you've heard that I myself have a prosthetic limb?"

Kakashi replied that Baki had told him.

"It's not just a prosthetic limb," Chiyo said. "It's practically a living weapon. It is surrounded by a chakra shield, and packs more firepower than most chunin. I'd say this arm is superior to a real one any day of the week." Chiyo hefted the limb in question, then pointed at Kakashi's stump. "I can do the same for you. If you promise to become a dedicated student in the art of puppetry, I will craft a prosthetic leg that will restore you to more than full mobility. In return, you must vow to restore Suna's Puppeteer Brigade to its former glory."

Kakashi couldn't believe his ears. He had expected a heavy price, something equal to the power that Chiyo had expended to unseal his chakra. Instead, she promised to help him even more, and acted as though he was doing _her _a favor!

Chiyo continued, explaining why this was her price. "I used to command Suna's Puppeteer Brigade. We were feared by friends and enemies alike, and our fame added to our village's fame; but now, few bother to learn the art of puppetry. If you really want to repay me, give up the title of Copy-Nin of Konoha, and become Puppet-Master Kakashi of Sunagakure."

Kakashi bowed deeply. "I would be honored. Chiyo, you are truly too kind."

The old lady waved him off. "No, I'm simply trying, in my own small way, to bring back the glory of the past. Also, there is one last thing. If, in your travels, you should ever happen to meet a shinobi called Sasori of the Red Sands, please tell him that Chiyo of Suna still thinks of him. Can you do that for me?"

"I swear I will."

Chiyo cackled, breaking the gravity of the moment. "Excellent, then it's settled. The Old Man and I will get started on the best prosthetic limb this village has ever seen. In the meantime, you read up on the techniques required for using Puppet Style. If you're not sure where to begin, ask the Kazekage's son, Kankuro. He's one of the few left who study the art of fighting with puppets."

From his spot at the door, Asuma started, drawing Kakashi's attention. "Kankuro? He's one of the kids in Sandstorm."

"Great," Kakashi replied. "We can kill two birds with one stone. Let's introduce these kids to their third and final sensei."

oOoOo

"Chyaa!" Sakura with all of the strength she'd acquired during years of intense training. Unfortunately, her target evaded the blow by inches. Kiba ducked away, and lunged back in with a quick knife-hand strike at Sakura's abdomen. Sakura brought her knee up, knocking away Kiba's arm. The bigger boy tried to sweep her legs, but Sakura jumped away easily. A low growl warned her of Akamaru's approach from behind, and she whirled in time to fend off the hound's sneaky attack at her ankle.

"Not today, boy," Sakura crowed, send Akamaru flying with a – admittedly slightly gentle – right hook.

"Stop picking on Akamaru!" Kiba roared, charging at Sakura's back. She whirled, catching Kiba's leading punch with crossed arms.

"Then tell your puppy to stop biting me!" Sakura retorted. She countered Kiba's next blow with a strike aimed at the bundle of nerves in his wrist, and suppressed a shout of triumph when he winced with pain. But Kiba's other hand took her by surprise, coming around to hit her straight in the kidney. Sakura clutched his arm for a second, and her cough was tinged with blood.

Kiba jumped away, grinning. "Got you that time, Sakura."

Sakura grinned back. "Yup, you did. But not as bad as I got you."

"What?" Kiba barely had time to phrase his eloquent question before the poison reached his nervous system. His muscles spasmed, and he fell motionless to the ground.

_Chyaa! _Inner Sakura crowed. For that matter, Outer Sakura was pretty pumped, too. She didn't always win against Kiba so decisively. The new poison she'd developed was a keeper.

Sakura bent over her fallen teammate, pumping chakra into her hands to perform a specialized medical ninjutsu. Chiyo had shown her long ago how it was possible to key a certain jutsu to a specific poison, a process made easier if you developed the poison yourself. It took energy to draw the poison from the wound, and lost effectiveness the longer the poison stayed in the body, but since she had hit Kiba only seconds before the jutsu only took a minute. From out of the tiny pinprick where she'd stabbed her poisoned senbon, Sakura drew out a tiny drop of liquid, which she let fall into the sand.

When she took her hands away from the tiny wound, Kiba coughed and sat up. His eyes came once again into focus, and when he saw her leaning over him, he groaned. "Aww, come on Sakura! Do you always have to use me as a guinea pig for your poisons? I was winning that time!"

Sakura gave him a wry grin. "Yeah, you were winning… until I beat you! Poison is a totally acceptable tool for a shinobi, so stop whining. You should just be glad I didn't mix laxative in with the poison like last time."

Kiba shuddered, remembering that awful night. Sakura had taken her revenge for Kiba teasing her about Gaara. He'd called him "Sakura's boyfriend," and said Sakura was too busy mooning over him to carry out missions. Of course, Sakura had not been about to let that slide. The next time they sparred, Kiba had the privilege to try out her newest poison, which kept him in complete agony the entire night. Sakura hadn't had to deal with his teasing since.

Truth be told, Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about Gaara. He was probably her best friend in Sandstorm, even though he wasn't one of the orphans from Konoha. He understood her, and didn't laugh even when she'd told him about Inner Sakura. He'd just laughed, and said that her inner self sounded a lot scarier than his.

But that was as far as it went. Sakura felt that she was way too young to think about boyfriends. Temari sometimes talked about which of the Suna shinobi were cuter, but then, she was sixteen. And anyway, Sakura was sure she only did that to tease Shikamaru. The blond kunoichi loved teasing her lazy friend, who tried heroically not to rise to her bait. As for Gaara, well, maybe in the future Sakura could see herself with him… but that was in the future. And every time Sakura found herself thinking about that, or daydreaming about romance, she felt guilty. How could she think about things like dating when her family was still enslaved in Konoha?

For all of the Konoha orphans remembered where they came from. It was an unspoken truth, one that hung over their heads and spurred them to work harder. Sakura had never lost sight of her purpose for a second, and she owed her current strength, and her skill with poisons and medical ninjutsu, to her determination to one day free Konoha from the Uchiha. Romance could, and would, wait until that happened. And if Kiba ever made any jokes about her having a crush on Gaara, well, she knew how to deal with him.

Once Kiba had fully recovered from the partial paralysis, Sakura helped him to his feet. They walked to the far wall at one end of the practice room, where Shino was waiting for them. The third member of their squad always watched silently when they sparred, and rarely spoke even when fighting. Kiba always complained that it was no fun fighting the bug user, because he didn't know how to properly engage in a taunting battle. Sakura agreed that it was no fun fighting him, but for a different reason. After all, who liked getting your chakra drained by creepy bugs? Whenever they sparred all-out, Sakura wished she could concoct a poison that only targeted kikai bugs. Unfortunately, their rapid evolution would produce a generation that was immune to its effects in no time. Not to mention that Shino would be _seriously _pissed at her if she tried to kill his bugs. And Sakura didn't think she wanted Shino to be mad at her.

"It seems your new poison is quite effective," Shino observed from behind his high collar. "But Kiba, I'm afraid your tactics are, once again, somewhat lacking. How many times has Baki told you not to take the obvious opening against a shinobi using poison?"

Kiba shook his head ruefully and patted Akamaru, who was once again nestled under his jacket. "I know, I know. One scratch and I'm dead. Next time I'll use gatsuga, and turn Pinky here into a smear on the sand."

Sakura punched Kiba playfully. "Just try it, dogbreath."

Suddenly, Kiba and Akamaru both tensed, their noses twitching in the air. "I smell people," Kiba announced, "they're in the front hall."

Shino put out a hand, gesturing for them to wait. "I have a few sentries in the hall. It appears that our guests are the two from the Kazekage's demonstration yesterday. The man who fought Baki, and the crippled shinobi who observed. Gaara's meeting with them now."

"Oh, that wind-style guy who beat Baki? Cool! Let's see what they want," Kiba urged.

"I am amenable to that proposal," Shino replied. "I think it likely that they are the reinforcements sent by Jiraiya. Perhaps they are to be our new senseis, since Baki can no longer adequately teach all nine of us?"

"Well," reasoned Sakura, "with two shinobi we would be able to have three teams of three, each with a jonin-sensei. But wasn't one of them crippled?"

"Yeah, he was missing a leg," Kiba said. "I hope we get the wind-style guy, he seemed cool."

Shino made a noise that signaled his disapproval. "Don't underestimate a shinobi just because of a seeming disability. That leads to overconfidence –" Kiba cut him off before he could finish.

"Which is the first step to failure, I know. Come on, let's go meet these two." He ran out the door of the training arena, leaving Sakura and Shino to follow at a more reasonable pace.

They were the last two to reach the hall. Kiba, Gaara and his siblings, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji; all were assembled in the main hall, opposite the two newcomers. Sakura thought that both looked intimidating. The white-haired man with a face mask looked dangerous, and even with a walking stick he seemed to move with a predator's liquid grace. The other man looked more kindly, with his wide smile and a casual stance, but Sakura remembered his fight against Baki, who was the strongest shinobi she knew apart from Chiyo and the Kazekage. These two meant trouble.

Naturally, Gaara was the one who took charge. "Since we're all here, maybe you could introduce yourselves, and tell us why you're here. I assume you come with the Kazekage's permission, because our identity is an S-class secret."

The masked man nodded, and threw Gaara a scroll bearing the Kazekage's personal seal. "There's our authorization. I'm Hatake Kakashi, and this is Sarutobi Asuma. We're former jonin of Konohagakure." There was a series of gasps, as the orphans re-evaluated the newcomers.

"Jiraiya helped bring us here. We're to become your senseis, along with Baki. Technically you're still genin, even with your special status as members of Sandstorm, so with the two of us we'll be able to train all of you like real genin squads."

Sakura looked around at her teammates, wondering what they thought of this news. She paid particular attention to Shikamaru, who was the acknowledged genius in their group. If he thought this was a good idea, then she would probably agree. Shikamaru didn't seem to mind; in fact, he was watching Asuma speculatively. Kiba was already sold, Sakura knew, from watching Asuma's fight with Baki. Choji and Ino seemed fine as well, and Shino was, like always, almost impossible to read. Kankuro, on the other hand, had something to say.

"I can accept that _you're _strong," he said to Asuma, "but what about _you?_" He pointed at Kakashi. "How can you teach us, if you can't even fight? It's insulting."

The Suna headband Kakashi wore was pulled low over his right eye, but his left eye narrowed slightly. Suddenly Sakura was sure that Kankuro was going to regret speaking up.

"Who says I can't fight?" Kakashi said it mildly, but Sakura shivered.

Kankuro scoffed. "Are you serious? No matter how good you used to be, there's no way you can fight while missing a leg."

"I won't be missing a leg for very long. But anyway, a puppeteer doesn't necessarily need heightened mobility."

The look of outrage and incredulity on Kankuro's face was priceless. "You? A puppeteer?"

"Not yet," Kakashi answered, "but I will be. You could call it a debt I owe to a friend."

Kankuro was livid, surprising Sakura with the extent of his reaction. "Bullshit!" he yelled. "Puppetry is a shinobi art only practiced in Suna! No foreigner can ever truly wield its power."

Kakashi merely looked at him, unconcerned. "Perhaps."

Here Gaara had to put a hand on his brother's shoulder, so that Kankuro wouldn't forget himself and launch straight at Kakashi. "I think I have an idea," the redhead announced. He didn't raise his voice, but the quiet tone of command caught everyone's attention. They turned to look at the jinchuriki. He addressed Kakashi politely.

"As rude as my brother undoubtedly is, he has a point. We know nothing about your capabilities; your partner, at least, proved to be just as strong, if not stronger, than our sensei. It is only fair that you show us your worth as well."

Kakashi shrugged, while Asuma looked positively delighted. "Fair enough. But Baki isn't here."

"If your partner vouches for you," Gaara nodded at Asuma, "then I don't think we need to repeat a fight with Baki. But perhaps, since you seem determined to become a puppeteer, you might fight with my brother. It would clear up the question of your suitability once and for all, and might help Kankuro learn a valuable lesson in humility."

Temari couldn't help adding, "fat chance."

The masked jonin nodded, then looked questioningly at Kankuro. "I'm up for it if you are, sport."

"Absolutely!" Kankuro spat. "I'll show you just how unfit you are to become a puppeteer!"

Asuma rubbed his hands gleefully. "After all these years, Kakashi returns to the battlefield. I wouldn't miss this fight for a million ryou! Hey, kid," he called to Shikamaru, "you look like the betting kind. Care to wager a few ryou on your friend?"

Shikamaru scoffed. "Too troublesome. Besides, I want to keep my money."

Kankuro glared at all of them alike, and led the way to the practice arena. Asuma and the eight genin lined up on the sidelines, while Kankuro and Kakashi squared off in the center, ten yards apart.

"Listen, brat," Kakashi began, "the terms of the fight are simple. You've got two minutes to get this bell from me. If you can't, I win." He took a bell from his belt pouch and swung it tauntingly. Then he hung it off of his flak jacket.

Kankuro swung the package of wrapped bandages of his back. "Fine by me. But if I win, you have to acknowledge that no foreigner can hope to become a true puppeteer."

"It's a deal. Time starts now!"

Kankuro pulled one of the bandages with a flourish, revealing his favorite puppet, Crow. Sakura had fought against it many times, and had a healthy respect for Kankuro's dexterity with his puppetry techniques. Kakashi made a similar flourish, imitating Kankuro, and pulled out… a book. Sakura couldn't make out the title, but saw that it had an orange cover.

"Are you mocking me?" Kankuro snarled. He twitched his fingers, and Crow's arms flapped angrily.

"Just a little," Kakashi replied, unconcerned. "It won't make any difference. Come at me with intent to kill, or I'll beat you easily."

"You don't have to worry about that! Get him, Crow!" Kankuro sent his puppet forward in a full-on attack, the wooden legs hovering a foot above the ground. Kakashi stayed at still as stone, one hand holding up the book, until the last minute. Then he seemed to shimmer out of existence, and reappeared behind Kankuro.

"Did you just talk to your puppet? You know talking to inanimate objects is the first sign of insanity, right?"

Kankuro just snarled, and ran backwards while reversing Crow's direction. Kakashi didn't move, and Sakura realized with awe that he had made his earlier evasion just jumping off of one leg! He had moved so fast she hadn't even seen it.

To Sakura's surprise, Kankuro's next attack was to send poisoned needles shooting out of the secret compartment's in Crow's arms. She gasped in surprise, no thinking that he would have immediately gone to deadly force. But Kakashi only said, "that's more like it."

The spikes were almost in range, when Kakashi twitched his fingers in what was definitely not a hand sign. Sakura realized with shock that Kakashi, just like Kankuro, now had blue chakra threads running from his right hand. They were attached to five kunai, which came shooting from hidden holsters in his flak jacket. In a blur of motion the kunai knocked aside Crow's spikes.

"Now it's my turn." Kakashi sent the five kunai speeding toward Kankuro. Crow moved to intercept, but compared to the speed of Kakashi's kunai Kankuro's puppet seemed sluggish. The blades evaded the larger puppet with ease, and rapidly closed the distance with Kankuro.

The black-clad genin cursed, and called on the speed that he rarely had to use to avoid the weapons. His head was tracking to the left, in order to follow the five kunai already re-orienting towards him, when Kakashi moved.

Sakura barely registered a blur of motion before Kakashi disappeared, only to reappear on Kankuro's right, immediately in the genin's path. Kakashi's elbow lashed out, catching the genin right above the temple. The blue threads connecting Kankuro to his puppet disappeared, and the genin slumped unconscious to the ground.

Kakashi looked down at his opponent, and then at his own hand. He wiggled his fingers, and chuckled softly when the kunai did a little victory dance in mid-air. Turning to his audience, he gave a little bow and winked. "I think I'm going to like being a puppeteer."

Gaara walked forward to help Kankuro up. He inclined his head gravely to Kakashi. "Welcome to Sandstorm, Kakashi-sensei."

oOoOo

Many miles away, in a makeshift camp well hidden from any curious eyes, Jiraiya stretched out in his bedroll, and secretly observed his traveling companion. From her hair to her toes, she was the mirror image of Hyuga Hinata. Jiraiya couldn't even tell the difference, though he had studied an accurate photograph of Hinata almost constantly on the road to Kumogakure.

This woman was dangerously good; the Fukumen clan was rightly famous for their skill at infiltration. Jiraiya didn't even know the woman's name; she had told him to call her Rose. Jiraiya had sparred against her, and was confident that her fighting abilities weren't much above chunin level, but that hardly mattered. With her ability to pass for almost anyone around her own height and weight, Rose would be able to get close to basically any target without anyone being any the wiser. She was the ideal assassin and spy.

"Stop watching me, old man," came Rose's muffled voice through the darkness. "You're making me jumpy."

Jiraiya didn't reply, just rolled over and shut his eyes. Rose unnerved him a little, and that wasn't an easy thing to do. He'd traveled all over the world, and seen a lot of things. But Rose's uncanny sense of purpose, and unquestioning obedience, was unnerving.

_Soon, _Jiraiya reminded himself, _soon we'll be back in Konoha. I'll switch this creepy spy with Hinata, and then we put our plan into motion. Madara, I hope you feel happy and secure up there in your Tower. Because with any luck, it will soon come crashing down. And I'll be there to see you fall._


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**To everyone who's not entirely happy with Kakashi as a puppeteer, I want to reassure you that it won't dominate his fighting style. He's still master of over a thousand techniques, he just doesn't have the edge that his sharingan used to give him. Starting him on the path to becoming a puppeteer was my way of powering him up, in a way that shows the depth of his debt to Chiyo. If it's not your cup of tea, I hope at least it doesn't ruin the rest of the story for you.

For everybody sticking with the story, lots of thanks! It's been a little drama-heavy this arc, but that will change soon. The next arc is suspense, intrigue, revolution, and battles on a larger scale than I've attempted before. Bye for now!

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 18**

It was the end of a long day, and the waning sun cast lengthening shadows across the arena floor. Takeshi was exhausted after several hours of sparring, but he fought to sharpen his focus on the task at hand. He gripped the leaf in his hand firmly, yet lightly, shaping his chakra into just the right form. For a second he felt it resisting him, but then he felt a sudden release and chakra flowed from his hand into the leaf. It crumbled into dust, which he tossed happily into the light breeze.

Takeshi took another leaf out of his pouch and repeated the exercise, struggling against the feeling of fatigue weighing down his body, and making his chakra even harder to control. For the past month, he had been training rigorously with Akemi, trying to master Change in Earth Chakra Nature. He could consistently crumble the leaf, but that wasn't enough for his slavedriver of a teammate. She wasn't satisfied until he could channel Earth chakra without fail, even when his body was on the brink of collapse.

They had fallen into a demanding workout schedule, both determined to outpace the other. In the morning they worked on stamina, and sparred hand-to-hand to develop their mastery of the sharingan. In the afternoon they sparred freestyle, using ninjutsu, genjutsu, and their respective weapons to beat each other to a pulp. And in the evening, when their muscles were aching and their minds were weary, they worked on the basics, so that their bodies would instinctively remember the proper movements, no matter how tired they might be.

While Takeshi was refining his chakra control, Akemi was working through forms with her katana. It was almost like a ribbon dance, Takeshi thought, watching Akemi's graceful motions – that is, if the ribbon had been a three-foot long piece of gleaming steel. The katana seemed to suit Akemi perfectly, and she had adjusted to its use like a fish learning to swim. As for Takeshi, he'd take his claws any day of the week. Earlier that day he'd punched the arena wall, just to see how powerful his weapons really were. He'd left a set of deep grooves in the white stone, sending granite chips flying everywhere. Maybe it wasn't as pretty as Akemi's swordsmanship, but it got the job done.

When Takeshi started seeing double, he reluctantly put his leaf away. He knew from experience that if he pushed himself farther, he was risking chakra exhaustion. The only thing that would get him would be a short stay in the hospital, which would waste training time.

"Akemi," Takeshi called out, getting to his feet, "I'm beat. Are you gonna keep going, or do you want to head back."

Akemi made one last lunge, skewering an invisible enemy before returning her sword to its sheath across her back. "I'm done. Let's get dinner before the cafeteria closes."

"Sounds good to me," Takeshi responded. The two teammates left the Arena, and headed back to the Military Police compound. At this time in the evening the streets were clearing out. Soon the lights would turn on, and Military Policemen would begin their rounds. Akemi and Takeshi had patrolled last week, so they didn't have to worry about doing street duty for another week at least.

Akemi walked quietly for a moment, lost in thought. Takeshi was used to reading her moods after so long, and so he wasn't surprised when she turned to him with an exasperated look. "I've had enough," she declared. "Let's make Naruto tell us what he's been up to."

Takeshi sighed. It was exactly what she'd been saying to him for weeks now, and he was running out of reasons why they shouldn't do exactly as she suggested. "You know what the General said, Akemi."

"Yeah, I know Naruto's training is important. He's working even harder than we are. But he's different, Takeshi, you know he is! Something's wrong."

He couldn't disagree, so Takeshi contented himself with looking away, watching the street signs pass by as they walked. But Akemi refused to be put off. "He's so tired, all the time," she said. "No sooner does he stop training with Fugaku than he goes off to the Tower, to have those damn medics poke him full of needles. He's had chakra exhaustion almost every other day, it seems like, but he never stops. And he's been sneaking off alone for a month now! He needs to confide in us –"

Takeshi looked at Akemi sharply, surprised at Akemi's tone of concern… at least until she finished her sentence, "- or else I'll beat him over the head until he _has_to take a break!"

"Naruto's training is an S-class secret," Takeshi reminded Akemi. "He's doing everything to protect the village once Itachi attacks, and he knew what he was getting into when he volunteered. I don't think he'd appreciate us butting in."

Akemi threw her hands up in frustration. "We're not _butting__in,_we're helping our teammate. But anyway, let's compromise. I'll acknowledge that his training is none of our business, if _you_acknowledge that he's acting really strange. It's more than just tiredness. He's got a secret, and I'm worried that it has something to do with why he keeps sneaking off late at night."

As much as Takeshi wanted to believe that Naruto was fine, he couldn't lie to himself, or to Akemi. There _was_something different about his friend. He wasn't his usual cheerful self, and he barely said a word to any of the other Uchiha. He still talked to Akemi and Takeshi when they were at the barracks together, but he seemed so much more guarded. Takeshi had been worried that it was a residual effect from the Land of Waves; that Naruto had been trying to distance himself from them, because he knew that he couldn't be too attached to the people he needed to command. But Naruto wasn't like that, and Takeshi knew deep down that something was going on.

"Fine," he said at last, "you win. We'll catch him tonight, and won't leave him alone until he tells us where he's been going. But if he has a valid reason, you have to promise to butt out. Sometimes there are things that it doesn't do any good to tell other people. There are things you have to work out for yourself."

Here Takeshi was thinking about his own childhood, when he had struggled with what it meant to be half Uchiha, and half Inuzuka. After his mother died, his father had become distant and cold, urging his son to become a true Uchiha and bury his Inuzuka half as deep as he could. Takeshi had been forced to figure out who he wanted to be on his own.

"I'll accept that," Akemi said, considering. "Just as long as he knows that his friends are right there, if he needs us."

When they reached the compound, they joined the rest of the off-duty Uchiha for dinner. As always, Akemi and Takeshi found a small table off to the side, rather than joining with any of the other squads. Akemi had always been a bit of a loner, due to her burning desire to avenge her brother. As for Takeshi, he'd long since grown accustomed to being on his own. When he was young, other Uchiha children would wrinkle their noses if he approached, saying things like, "does anyone smell a dog around here?"

Even now, the insults hadn't disappeared, they were just more subtle. Takeshi much preferred to eat with his team, although Squad 13's table had been feeling more and more empty of late, without Naruto there. Akemi and Takeshi wolfed down their food, too hungry to complain about the quality like most of the other Cadets often did.

Takeshi scanned the cafeteria, confirming what he already knew. "Naruto isn't here," he said quietly to Akemi. "He must be out on his own again."

Akemi swallowed yet another rice ball, and drained a glass of water. "That's fine. He'll try to sneak into barracks through the back entrance, since nobody uses that one. We'll wait for him, and have a private little chat before bed."

It was a good plan, so Takeshi nodded agreement. The Police compound had few entrances, in the interest of keeping tight security. Most people went through the front entrance, which passed directly by the cafeteria. That way you were always assured of seeing who was on break, and saying a friendly hello on your way to barracks or Command. But on the far side of the compound there was a smaller entrance, which let servants in and out without getting in the way of the main stream of traffic. Since Naruto had started going out at late hours, he'd returned to barracks using this back entrance. If they intercepted him there, it would be the perfect place to talk without being overheard.

Their target was an open courtyard, surrounded by a chain-link fence. There were several dumpsters on one side, proving that even the famous Uchiha needed to devote some energy to the universal problem of waste disposal. Akemi and Takeshi sat down to the right of the dumpsters, with their backs against the fence. From there they could see anyone entering from outside, but they were hidden from any eyes watching from the main building. The sun was completely hidden from view by now, and the blue glow of dusk was darkening quickly.

Takeshi absently patted Hinamaru. **Make****sure****you****let****us****know****when****Naruto****shows****up,**he warned his friend.

**Of****course,**the headstrong hound replied. **I****can****smell****the****fox-child****a****mile****away.**

Akemi looked over at her friend and his hound, wrinkling her nose in dissatisfaction. "I hate it when you two get all chatty," she complained. "I never know what you're saying."

"Don't worry," Takeshi reassured her. "We're just talking about how Naruto is smelly."

"Oh. That's all right, then."

The three of them sat in comfortable silence in the growing darkness, until at last Hinamaru's muffled bark warned them of Naruto's approach. Takeshi smelled Naruto a moment later, taking a moment to revel in his enhanced senses, which had only seemed to get stronger as he trained more with Hinamaru. Naruto's shadowy form came into view a second later, noiselessly opening the door built into the fence. A few steps into the courtyard and Naruto froze, turning to look directly where Takeshi and Akemi were sitting.

"What's going on, you two?" Naruto asked, sounding unsurprised to find them there.

Akemi got to her feet, stretching a little to get her blood flowing after sitting for so long. "You should know," she said accusingly. "We wouldn't be here if you weren't sneaking off to who-knows-where without even telling your friends about it."

"Aw, come on, Akemi," Naruto protested weakly, "it's not like that. I've just been really tired, you know, with the training, and I wanted to have some peace and quiet."

Hinamaru nudged Takeshi's foot with his nose. **He****'****s****lying,**the hound observed, his mental voice sounding surprised. **Or****at****least,****he****'****s****not****telling****the****whole****truth.**

"Hinamaru says you're lying to us," Takeshi told Naruto calmly. Naruto flinched, as though they'd struck him. "Look," Takeshi began, still sitting down, "we're not here to interrogate you. I mean, we are, but only because we're worried about you. We've faced death together before, but now it feels like you're pushing us away. If you don't want to talk about your training, that's completely fine. But why have you been going away so secretly? Why can't we go with you? No matter what's happened, we want to be a team. Don't you?"

Even in the dark, Takeshi could see the pain that flashed across Naruto's face at the question. "Of _course_I do! It's not that, it's just… things are really delicate, and I don't want to complicate…" he trailed off, confused.

"Come on, Naruto," Akemi wheedled. "Whatever it is, you can trust us. You've saved my life at least twice already. Let us help you, with whatever it is you're going through."

There was a short silence, in which Naruto was clearly doing some serious thinking. "Maybe… it could work. Maybe if she met you guys, she'd understand we're not all like that…"

Akemi perked up like a bloodhound catching a scent. "Did you just say _she?_"

"Never mind that," Naruto said, evidently having come to a decision. "Yes, I think this is a _great_idea. Guys, I'm really sorry I haven't been around much. It's not that I didn't want to, but… well, you'll see. Meet me here tomorrow evening, right before dinner. There's somebody I want you to meet."

Then Naruto was off, leaving two confused teammates very much in the dark, both literally and figuratively.

Takeshi and Akemi looked at each other, and burst out at the same time, "he's been meeting a _girl?_"

oOoOo

Hinata hurried through the woods outside of Konoha, scanning all around her with her byakugan. She carried a large bag in her hand, which swung by her side as she walked. Inside was enough food for two people, which Hinata had prepared carefully on the small stovetop in the servants' quarters. Today was a special day, and Hinata had wanted to mark it.

A month ago today, Hinata had first run into Naruto by the bank of the Naka river. Since then she'd learned so much, and been happier than she'd thought possible. She knew it was foolish, but Hinata thought of today as a kind of anniversary, to commemorate the day she'd met the boy who was both her teacher and friend.

Of course, things had been different since that tragic run-in with Uchiha Genji. It had lain between them, even after Naruto had apologized profusely for the actions of his clansman. Hinata had laughed when he told her how he got Genji assigned to a year-long border patrol stint, but it didn't really change anything. She continued to hate the Uchiha, while Naruto continued to hope that Hinata would learn to see some good in them.

In the interest of keeping their time together as happy as possible, Hinata had tried to avoid speaking of what had passed. And over the last few weeks, they had gone back to almost the way it had been. Hinata could forget about the world she lived in for a few hours, and take a simple pleasure in being together with her best friend. Naruto, too, seemed to delight in teaching Hinata, and no matter how exhausted he was when he arrived, he always seemed rejuvenated after spending time with her. In spite of its bittersweet imperfections, Hinata looked back on the last month as the happiest of her life. For that, she wanted to celebrate a little, even if it was simply making a meal for the two of them.

When Hinata was close to the clearing, her byakugan revealed that Naruto was already there, waiting. But to her shock, she realized that Naruto wasn't alone. He was standing next to a boy and girl his own age, who wore the uniforms of Cadets of the Military Police. The same exact uniforms worn by the genin who had attacked her before.

Hinata froze, trembling, too frightened to advance any further. But the unfamiliar boy next to Naruto stiffened, and looked directly in Hinata's direction. He'd sensed her!

Hinata was about to turn and run, when Naruto's voice rang out in a controlled yell. "Hinata? Is that you? It's ok, these are my friends."

Hinata's trembling increased violently, but she turned back. Knowing Naruto, he'd probably run after her. There was no avoiding this, even though Hinata's stomach was doing backflips, and with every step toward the clearing she felt an increasing sense of dread.

With her bag swinging clumsily at her side, Hinata entered the clearing. Naruto's two friends watched her curiously. Hinata's emotions were in such a tangle that she couldn't have said exactly what she felt, but there was an increasing part of her that was just angry. How _dare_Naruto do this to her? With no warning, Naruto brought other Uchiha _here,_to her special place. Damn him, he knew what she thought of Uchiha!

Naruto watched her face, looking very apprehensive, but hopeful. "Hinata, these are my teammates, Akemi and Takeshi. They were worried about me, since I kept disappearing. I thought you guys should meet, since you're all my friends. I thought, maybe if you see what _good_Uchiha are like, you might…" Naruto trailed off, watching Hinata to see how she would respond.

She just shook her head mutely, too full of fury and embarrassment to speak. Takeshi edged forward first. He obviously felt awkward, but he gave her a smile that looked sincere. "It's nice to meet you, Hinata." He stuck out his hand, which Hinata shook automatically, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. Takeshi stepped back. "Come on, Akemi," he said, gesturing to his female teammate.

But the girl in question was regarding Naruto with the same look of confusion and betrayal that Hinata herself felt. "Is this what all the secrecy was about? You were sneaking out, night after night, to meet a _servant?_She's why you didn't spend any time with us?"

Akemi looked directly at Hinata, and her uncomprehending look cut deeper than any blade. Hinata couldn't stand it any longer; she couldn't remain there in a state of such painful confusion. She dropped her basket at her feet, and ran back into the woods like a startled deer.

"Damn it, Akemi!" Hinata heard Naruto's angry voice from back in the clearing. "Why'd you have to do that?"

If there was a reply, Hinata didn't hear it. She was running as if the hounds of hell were snapping at her heels. Tears rolled down her cheeks, only to be blown away by the wind against her face. But as fast as she was, Naruto was far faster. Before long he had overtaken her, and barred her way with his arms outspread.

"Please, just stop for a minute," he begged, panting heavily. "If you'd just listen-"

But Hinata couldn't control herself any longer, and the pent-up pain came pouring in a stream of words that were barely intelligible. "How could you?" she sobbed. "Them – here – without telling me… why?"

Naruto took hold of her shoulders, holding her eyes with his own. "I should have warned you. And I should have warned Akemi, too, otherwise she wouldn't have been so rude-"

But Hinata shook her head violently, again cutting him off. "It's not about her, that's not it at all. It's just, this was _our_place… and they're… they're Uchiha." Though her voice was only a whisper at this point, she couldn't, and didn't want to, suppress the hatred that tinged her voice at that word.

"That's exactly it, Hinata," Naruto said seriously. "You hate them just because of a crest on their jackets. Don't you see how you're not giving them a chance? It's like the villagers who looked at me, and only saw a demon."

Hinata gasped in shock, and lurched backwards out of Naruto's grip. Hurt and anger rushed through her, so strongly that her byakugan activated automatically, and for a second she saw white. "How dare you…" she whispered, and then her voice strengthened. "How _dare_you compare me to them? Can you look at what I've been through, and possibly think that my hatred of the Uchiha is unfounded? The murderers of my family, and the people who enslaved the entire village?"

"I agree it's unfair that you should have to suffer for the crimes of your family," Naruto said. Hinata could only shake her head mutely, since that wasn't what she'd said _at__all._"But fixing these things takes time. I promise you, I've always planned on asking Madara to give you your freedom. I'm sure you can show that you'll be a valuable shinobi."

Hinata laughed without humor. "Oh? You'd try to free me? So I could fight alongside murderers with a Seal on my forehead, playing the good little captive kunoichi? Do you truly think the Uchiha deserve to rule? They're power-hungry, corrupt, and cruel! And the Hokage is the worst of all!"

Naruto's face paled with anger, and his voice became colder. "But I'm an Uchiha, too. Is that what you think of me?"

"No," Hinata cried, shaking her head in denial, "you're not like them. You're not one of them!"

But that was the wrong thing to say. Naruto drew himself up, and for a second he looked exactly like the Naruto that had punished Genji. Proud, and regal. Terrible.

"It may be difficult to understand," Naruto said, making an effort to speak calmly and dispassionately, "since you suffered the most from what happened. But Madara acted to protect the clan from being wiped out. If he hadn't, your family would still be alive, but all of the Uchiha would be dead, down to the last child."

Then Naruto softened, and the pleading in his voice was real. "Please, Hinata, give my friends a chance. They're as innocent of any harm to your family as I am. Even if you can't forgive Madara, give them a chance, just like you gave me."

But Hinata couldn't do what Naruto wanted. She couldn't take his outstretched hand, and introduce herself to the children of the clan that had carried out so many atrocities, and act as if nothing had ever happened. And she could no longer pretend that Naruto wasn't part of that clan.

Hinata steeled herself, drawing strength from somewhere deep inside. "Are you an Uchiha?" she asked, her voice sounding distant and strange to her own ears.

Naruto's eyes filled with pain, but Hinata didn't back down. "Yes," Naruto said slowly, "I am an Uchiha."

Hinata nodded shortly, sharply. "So be it. I never want to see you again."

Naruto gasped and reeled back, as if she'd slapped him. Hinata ran off again, not even trying to check her tears. This time, no footsteps followed her.

oOoOo

Hinata meant to return to the village, but found she couldn't. She felt that returning to her quarters would have been too awful. Her grandmother would surely see how distraught she was, and then all hell would break loose. So she found a new section of woods, and determined to wait until she was calm once again.

Almost of its own accord, her body began the practice forms for the Gentle Fist style. It always relaxed her, and now she turned to the familiar rhythm of punches and kicks to work as it always did. But this time, the routine failed her. Naruto's face kept flashing before her eyes, and she heard his voice saying "I am an Uchiha," flat and final, like a death knell.

Hinata's movements became faster and faster, until she was fighting all out, attacking a horde of imaginary foes, or perhaps trying to keep her own thoughts at bay. Seconds passed, then minutes, until Hinata lost all conception of time. Even Naruto's face faded, until it was only the rhythm, and the trees. Hinata felt that she was compressing all of her emotion, the anger burning like a forest fire, and the grief that beckoned, wider than the sea; she took it all, concentrating it in a point just below her navel, where it swirled and mixed with her chakra, becoming an alien force that she could barely keep hold of. Summoning the last of her strength, Hinata drove forward and struck the trunk of an oak tree with her palm. The tide of chakra, grief, and hate flowed out through her arm, resulting in a burst of blue light that surged into the tree.

The tree exploded. Hinata's attack strike blew a hole all the way through the trunk, and a shock wave emanated outward, carrying branches and chunks of bark. There was a creaking sound, and then the top of the tree fell forward, bearing itself toward the ground with increasing momentum. It landed with a _crash_that echoed throughout the forest.

Hinata was standing frozen, her arm outstretched in a textbook jyuken strike. She exhaled, surveying the damage with the sense of someone completely removed from reality. She felt empty.

The sound of someone clapping jerked Hinata back to the present. She whirled, scanning the area with her byakugan for the danger. Perched in a tree behind her, sat a man with bushy, white hair, wearing a red robe and raised sandals. He jumped to the ground, continuing his applause.

"Wow," the man said. "Your grandmother told me you were feisty, but I never expected _this!_"

Hinata had been through a lot that day, and so she could only blink at him, and say, "you know my grandmother?"

"Yes," the man said, his eyes twinkling kindly. "I swear I mean you no harm. My name is Jiraiya, and I am here to set you free. I have a letter for you from your grandmother, that proves I am who I say I am."

Hinata nodded mutely, and caught the scroll that Jiraiya tossed her. She unrolled it, and started reading the words written in her grandmother's unmistakable hand.

_Dearest Hinata,_

_I am sorry that I can only tell you the truth like this. There are too many eyes watching us in the Tower, so this is the best I can do. First, I know all about you sneaking off to the Forest to practice your fighting. I have seen how your body has become stronger lately, which can only have happened because you were training yourself. And I know why: you think that one day, we have a chance to be free. I think the same, and it is why I urge you to listen to what Jiraiya has to say. He has been fighting to free our village since the very day the Uchiha took over, and he has finally found a way to help us. However, his plan relies on you, Hinata. Yes, you read correctly – if we are ever to be free from Madara's tyranny, we need you to go with Jiraiya, and help him achieve his goal. I know this is a heavy burden to place on you, my dear. But you are the heir to the Hyuga clan, and I know your sense of duty to this village is rivaled only by your love for our home, and the for the people who live here. You must be strong, and leave the only home you have ever known. Because one day, you will return. And when you do, it will be to lead us all out of the darkness. Go swiftly, and carry with you all my love._

Hinata's mind was whirling. She clutched the note in her hand, and looked between it and Jiraiya in shock. So her grandmother hadn't just accepted their fate? All along, she had known Hinata was training, and approved of it? But then, she obviously hadn't known about Naruto.

Jiraiya was looking at her with compassion. "So, you see the truth of things now. Do you believe I'm here to help?"

Hinata nodded slowly. "This is my grandmother's hand, she wouldn't lie to me."

"It's not an easy road that I offer you," Jiraiya said seriously. "The reason I need you is that you bare the Seal, and you aren't under as closely watched as the active shinobi. If you come away with me, I will find a way to break the hold of the Curse Seal. Then we can come back, and free the village. I have allies who will fight with us, and once the Sealed shinobi are free the Uchiha will be vastly outnumbered."

Hinata's brain scrambled to keep up with this flow of information. The Uchiha's dominance had been so fixed a part of her life, that to hear revolution mentioned so casually was almost incomprehensible. But then Hinata thought of returning to Konoha, and what it would be like to live day in, day out, the same miserable existence that had been her life for years. Here was a chance to change that. What had all of the training been for, if not for an opportunity exactly like this one? Hinata's family had created the Curse Seal that now kept the entire shinobi population captive. It was only right that she should play a part in its destruction.

"Right," Hinata declared, her fists clenched against her side. "Let's go."

"Just like that?" Jiraiya asked. "As long as you understand what you're getting yourself into. I don't know how long it will take me to fix the Seal. Until then we have to live on the run, and keep the Uchiha from discovering us. Can you say goodbye to everything you know here, and devote yourself entirely to a goal that will require the utmost sacrifice? If you leave with me, you have to be willing to sacrifice your life for the village. You can't hold anything back."

Hinata was afraid, more afraid than she'd ever been in her life. But in her mind's eye she saw Hanabi, and her grandmother, and Lee, Neji, Tenten; she saw the entire village, and knew she would do anything it took to make them safe forever.

And though a small voice told her that she had something to live for, she squashed it ruthlessly. Naruto had made his choice. Now she had to make hers.

"I can do it. There's nothing holding me back anymore."

oOoOo

The five days after Naruto's fight with Hinata were the most wretched that he could remember. He didn't want to eat, or train, or sleep. He kept wanting to apologize, and then he would remember her expression as she said, "I never want to see you again." He was in an agony of indecision.

His friends tried to console him, and Akemi even apologized for the way she'd acted, but it didn't help. Naruto avoided the cafeteria at mealtimes, worrying that he would run into Hinata while she was working.

But finally, Naruto couldn't stand it any longer. He had to apologize to Hinata for being inconsiderate about her family, and for not respecting her feelings. Even if they disagreed on some things, Naruto valued her friendship too much to just let it go without a fight. He was determined to listen to what she had to say, and see what he could do to make the situations of everyone in the village better, Seal or no Seal.

To that effect, Naruto began hanging around the servants' quarters, hoping to catch Hinata alone. One day he got the chance, when Hinata walked out of the servants' exit of the Hokage's Tower, and began to walk towards the marketplace. Naruto sped up to catch her, and fell in place next to her.

"Hinata, I'm so so-" but Naruto stopped when Hinata recoiled in fright. For a second, her expression was terrified, as if she feared Naruto more than anyone in the world. Then the look was gone, replaced by a carefully blank, subservient expression. She bowed deeply to Naruto. "Good afternoon, Uchiha-sama. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Naruto was shocked and horrified. That fear was the same fear he saw every day in the eyes of the villagers. The careful politeness, which didn't communicate anything other than a desire that he leave as soon as possible. Hinata was _scared_of him. She was determined to treat him like everyone else, and just because he was an Uchiha. So that was it, then. It really was over, whatever had existed between them.

"No," he said coldly. "Never mind."

He had just turned to walk away, when he caught sight of Captain Tanaki running toward him at full speed. "Naruto!" the Captain shouted. "The Hokage wants you right away!"

Naruto began to walk over to Tanaki, but cast one lingering glance over his shoulder. Hinata was moving at a walk that was more like a sprint. _Like__a__demon__was__chasing__her,_Naruto thought bitterly. _Well,__you__don__'__t__have__to__worry,__Hinata.__I__won__'__t__chase__you__any__more._

Tanaki reached Naruto and paused, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath. "I just ran down all the stairs. I'm glad I didn't have to go far to find you." He straightened up, and glanced at Hinata's retreating back with curiosity. "But why were you talking to the servant?"

Naruto waved the question away. "I just needed her to get something from the market, that's all. Let's go to the Tower right away. What's going on?"

Tanaki started at the reminder, and began herding Naruto back to the Tower with frenzied motions of his arms. "That's for the Hokage to tell you. Just go!"

"All right, I'm going!" Naruto ran into the Tower at top speed. He noticed that Tanaki didn't follow him. He also realized, to his considerable confusion, that the Tower had been almost completely emptied of staff. He passed a few servants, but none of the Uchiha guards were present, and neither were the runners carrying messages from the Police compound.

Naruto arrived at the Hokage's study, after running up the stairs. He knocked on the door, wondering what was going on.

"Come in!" His father's voice reassured him. Madara would explain what was going on.

When Naruto entered, he found Madara looking out over the village, his back to the door. Then Madara turned, and his booming laugh took Naruto by surprise.

"Son," Madara began, his deep voice vibrant with emotion, "today is a day that I've been waiting for since I took you in. It's the day that you become an Uchiha in more than just name."

"Sir?" Naruto asked, falling back on formality to cover his confusion.

"You've been working harder than I could have ever expected," said Madara. "Fugaku had kept me apprised of just how well you're gaining control over the Kyubi's chakra. But that was only ever half of the plan. The experiments the medics were carrying out were all successful, and it's time to realize your full potential."

"What do you mean?" Naruto couldn't believe that the weeks of torture, of inflicting various injuries and draining his chakra to the fullest extent, might be over. Now he was going to learn why it had been so important.

Madara walked forward, and placed a gloved hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I mean, my son, that it is time that you receive your sharingan."

Naruto could only stare. Was Madara joking? Sharingan eyes were the bloodright of the Uchiha, a kekkei genkai that could only be inherited. What did he mean Naruto was going to get a sharingan?

"I see you're confused," Madara declared, "but let me explain. While eyes possessing the sharingan can only ever come from an Uchiha, it is possible for others to learn its use. It is possible to implant a sharingan into someone not originally from the clan, in such a way that they can use its power."

Naruto suddenly remembered the traitor Kakashi, whose empty eye socket had once held a sharingan eye.

"So then…" he stammered. Madara nodded, not needing him to frame his question.

"That's right. You are to receive two sharingan eyes, which will make you an Uchiha down to your very soul. None from the clan will question your right to rule after me, and with your new power you will become the first jinchuriki to obtain complete control over your prisoner."

Naruto knew exactly what Madara was talking about, especially after so many training sessions with Fugaku. Naruto didn't know what the Mangekyo sharingan was, or how Fugaku had obtained it, but it had the ability to suppress the Kyubi's chakra. Whenever Naruto overextended himself and lost control, Fugaku had used his ability to make sure that Naruto didn't hurt anyone. That was the power that Madara was potentially offering him. If he could achieve the same mastery over his sharingan that Madara and Fugaku had, he would never have to worry about his prisoner breaking free again. He would be able to use its power exactly as he wanted; to protect his village and his friends. And with such a powerful symbol of acceptance, he wouldn't be an outside anymore. All of the whispers about Naruto not being a real Uchiha would stop. Not just Akemi and Takeshi, but every Uchiha would accept him as one of their own.

"It sounds almost too good to be true," Naruto admitted. "But… how will I get a pair of eyes with the sharingan?"

"I have long hoped for the ability to transplant the sharingan, so that each generation of Uchiha could pass on their strength to the next. It wasn't until the medics testified about the strength of your regenerative abilities, however, that I came to believe it would actually be possible. The eyes that you will possess once belonged to a shinobi of superior strength and skill, a man who brought honor to the clan. His name was Shisui."

Naruto gasped, recognizing Akemi's brother's name. "That's right," Madara said, seeing the flash of recognition. "Your teammate's brother, who died bravely and well. It's fitting, isn't it, that his eyes will serve the village even after his death? Perhaps you will be the one to strike down Itachi, and then Shisui will truly be at peace."

"But, they're his eyes, I couldn't…" Naruto trailed off.

"I asked both Akemi and her father how they felt about you inheriting Shisui's sharingan. Both agreed without hesitation. They feel you should carry on his legacy, and become the Uchiha you were meant to be."

That clinched it for Naruto. If he could become stronger, and gain the means to make the people around him safe, he would do it. Since Akemi wanted him to use her brother's eyes, he would. And anyone who sought to harm Konoha, watch out! They would find a stronger guardian than they knew.

"Let's do it."

Madara nodded in satisfaction. "I knew you would say that. Are you prepared?"

Naruto was about to say yes, when he was stopped by the memory of another pair of eyes. White eyes. If he went ahead with this, it would be the same as letting Hinata go once and for all. He couldn't expect her to ever look in his eyes, when they were the symbol of what she hated more than anything else.

But Naruto was being selfish, he knew that. He had a duty to the village. It needed a protector, someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Itachi, and anyone the missing-nin managed to sway to his cause. Naruto could be that protector, but only if he took this step. Naruto screwed his eyes shut.

_Goodbye, Hinata._

When his eyes opened, they held only determination.

"Let's do it."

oOoOo

Naruto lay flat on his back on a cold operating table. Medic-nin in green robes stood over him, their face masks making them appear grim and forbidding. Naruto took a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"Listen, Naruto. This is very important." Madara's voice kept Naruto calm and focused. His father was counting on him, and he wouldn't let him down. "The Kyubi is a sentient being, and probably aware of its surroundings. When we begin the operation, it may try to resist. That means that it's up to you to fight it, to control the beast until the sharingan comes under your control. Once that happens, you should have no problem suppressing your prisoner, and the automatic healing will complete the integration."

"Don't lose control over the Kyubi," Naruto declared, sounding more confident than he felt. "Got it."

"And Naruto," Madara added, his voice becoming grave. "You are about to experience more pain than you have ever imagined. But I know you are equal to it."

Naruto nodded. "Let's get this over with." One of the medics pushed a knotted rag between his teeth, so that he wouldn't bite down on his tongue once the pain struck. They bolted iron clamps around his wrists and legs, and Madara placed a hand on Naruto's chest.

"I will activate a genjutsu that will render you motionless and blind, while the operation is underway. Unfortunately, I can't numb the pain without weakening your ability to control the Kyubi."

Naruto saw a flash of chakra spread from Madara's hand into his torso, and then he saw nothing. His whole body stopped responding to his commands, lying motionless as a corpse.

First, there was nothing. Then came the pain. Deep, shooting agony drove through his eyes, seeming to pierce his brain. Naruto could no longer even frame coherent thoughts, the pain reducing him to the responses of a beast. He bit into the rag instinctively, not knowing what was going on, but just wanting it to stop, to let him die!

His whole body caught fire, and the only thing still connecting him with sanity was Madara's deep voice, telling him to hold on, to fight it. Then a rush of something else came, and it wasn't pain. Or else it was a different kind of pain, one Naruto knew to struggle against, because if he let it go, something terrible would happen.

But the second pain grew stronger, and pushed at him, insistent. A different voice grew in his head, becoming louder even than Madara, a bestial, echoing roar. Naruto arced his back, roaring in answer, though the rag muffled the sound. Naruto clenched every muscle, fighting against something.

Then, strangely, Naruto could see. The pain was gone, and his body responded to his commands. He took stock of his surroundings, nerves on edge. He was standing in a murky fog, too thick to see much. In front of him were the bars of huge cage, which stretched out farther than he could see. A glowing pair of eyes emerged.

_**Pitiful**____**child,**___came a voice that shook Naruto down to his bones. It was ancient, and more evil than anything he'd ever encountered. _This__must__be__the__Kyubi,_Naruto realized. Somehow I'm inside of my own mind.

_**You dare try to trap me with your foul magic? I will burn those eyes out of your sockets, and take control of your puny body at the same time!**_

The fog behind the bars began to turn orange, and seeped out along the ground towards Naruto. The temperature rose as the orange fog grew closer, and became solid and menacing. Naruto knew he couldn't run from the fog – this was a fight from which there was no escaping.

"I will never give in to you, Kyubi!" Naruto shouted. "I am Uchiha Naruto, and I never give up! That's my way of the ninja!"

_**We**____**will**____**see.**___The orange miasma reached Naruto, and rose up around him. It trembled for a second, hesitating, as if searching for a weakness. All at once, it rushed in to engulf him completely. Naruto's body once again exploded in pain. With his last moment of consciousness, Naruto willed himself to prevail. Then everything went dark.

"Naruto."

Naruto opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light that stabbed his retinas. The room slowly came into view.

"Naruto," said the voice again. He realized after a second whose voice it was. His father's. "Naruto, it's over. You've done it."

Naruto tried to open his mouth, only to realize his muscles were clenched so tightly that they wouldn't open voluntarily. After a minute he was able to pry his jaw open, gagging at the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. Once the restraints were unlocked, Naruto jerked himself painfully upright. He would have fallen back down, but Madara caught his arm in a grip like iron.

"Help me up," Naruto croaked, too exhausted to realize who he was talking to. Madara didn't respond, only gave Naruto a pull. He stood on shaky legs, but let go of Madara's hand.

"It's done then," Naruto said, and it wasn't a question. He could feel the power flowing behind his eyelids, like a strange pressure pushing on his brain. He didn't feel any sense of triumph; he was just weary beyond belief. "I think I need to sleep."

"Of course," Madara responded. "Your body needs to heal itself. But if you'll keep from fainting for a second longer, there is something you need to see."

Naruto looked at him blankly, but nodded. "All right. I guess a little longer won't kill me."

Madara led Naruto to the door, and swung it open with a flourish. Outside the tiny operating room, in a long row all the way down the hallway, were the members of the entire Uchiha clan.

Akemi and Takeshi stood in the front, with General Fugaku and other high-ranking Police officers. Behind them were the rest of the Cadets, and behind them the enlisted officers, with their families and children. When the Uchiha saw Naruto, they clapped and cheered furiously.

The sound of hundreds of voices seemed to energize Naruto, and he stood a little straighter. He even found that he had the energy to grin at his teammates.

"Listen to that, Naruto," Madara said happily. "That's your family."

**End of Part 3**

**A/N:**That chapter was really tough to write. But don't worry, however bleak things seem, there's always hope! Next arc we'll leave Naruto on his own, and focus on events in Kirigakure, along with Jiraiya's journey with Hinata.

Please take a second to leave a review, just to let me know what you think so far. My birthday is coming up, and the only present I want is feedback!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **I'm going to take a minute at the start of this arc to clarify a few things about Madara. Recent manga has had revelation after revelation, and I've had a lot of questions about how, if at all, that's going to change my story. Here's the deal: my Madara is the real Madara, the honest-to-goodness original founder of the Uchiha clan. Somehow he's managed to extend his life span (no, I haven't explained how he managed that), and his motivation is to raise the Uchiha clan to glory. That's slightly different from canon, where supposedly all he wanted was to eradicate the entire Uchiha clan for betraying him all those years ago.

My Madara is different from canon Madara, and never pretended to be Tobi at all. As far as my story is concerned, there is no Tobi. There is also no Akatsuki, although the members of Akatsuki are still alive, and will show up before the end. My Madara is meant to be complex and to some extent mysterious, but with motivations that are ultimately understandable. If you're feeling uncertain about how he feels towards Naruto, that's good – if you'refeeling uncertain about how _you _feel about Madara, that's even better. He's a villain, certainly, but even villains are capable of affection, and honor, and love. Whether Madara feels one, or all of these things, is something to think about for now. I promise that before the end, you'll know exactly what he feels and why.

Finally, a word about the Mizukage. Yagura is the Fourth Mizukage, but was also revealed to be a puppet of Madara. Obviously, in this story Madara is not as concerned with other villages or world domination (at least not yet), so in this story Yagura never existed. I realize that where Madara is concerned I'm ignoring a lot of canon, but only because it will make for a better story. The current Mizukage is therefore the Third Mizukage, and the one who survived Zabuza's first attempted coup. It is a man, even though apparently I referred to him as "she" during the Land of Waves arc. There is no information about him other than his cruelty and apparent taboo against kekkei genkai, so I'm going to develop his character as I see fit. If you have more questions not regarding plot details, feel free to drop me a review and I'll get back to you.

That's it for these monster author's notes, so on with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story

**Part 4: Friends and Enemies**

**Chapter 19**

Somewhere in the fertile plains of Water Country, at the base of a small valley, there was a farm. Or rather, there used to be a farm; now, the rice paddies were filled in with dirt, and were becoming home to weeds and bushes. The house where, presumably, the farm's owners had once lived was now a ruin. In addition to the decay that normally occurs when a house is abandoned, there were gaping holes in the walls that stood out starkly, exposing the empty rooms within. The large red barn was in worse shape, with a roof almost entirely torn away and burn damage showing on all four walls.

All in all, the farm was a relic of a violent past, but one that nature was reclaiming with a vengeance. Ivy and lichen had reclaimed the wooden boards, growing around the holes in the house's walls as if determined to bring the dead wood back to nature. It seemed likely that in a few years, a decade or two, there might remain no traces of the house at all. It would be forgotten, just as the people who'd once lived there were forgotten.

But for now the farm survived, and if it had a depressing and ghost-like air; well, that suited its new inhabitants perfectly. The spookier the old farm, the less likely it was for curious eyes to come exploring, and see what they shouldn't. And there was a certain sense of cosmic justice attached to the fact that this farm, which had been destroyed in the great Kekkei Genkai purges so many years ago, should now serve as the staging ground for a movement dedicated to bringing down the person responsible for those Purges in the first place: the Third Mizukage.

From within the house emerged four figures, all male; two were young, barely out of their pre-teen years, while the other two had the height and strength of men grown. One man, who went shirtless and carried a giant zanbatou across his back, took a seat on a severed tree stump while facing the other three. Though no one was there to witness the scene, it was momentous enough to deserve a mention in any future history book: the moment when Momochi Zabuza set a plan in motion, one that would bring down the Kage who'd once banished him.

"I saw a hawk come in this morning." Zabuza's first words, spoken in his characteristic deep growl, were directed at Itachi. "Was it what I think it was?"

The banished Uchiha nodded silently. While Zabuza was sitting cross-legged, looking almost aggressively casual, Itachi stood upright and ready to move. Still, both exuded the same sense of confidence that their younger partners didn't quite possess. One knew, only by looking at them, that these were dangerous men. They would move mountains, one felt. They could change the world.

"Yes," Itachi continued, "It was a message from our newly-appointed Board of Trustees. What was formerly Gato Corporation has been successfully broken up into smaller companies, all of which are controlled by men who owe me their lives. All of Gato's wealth is at our fingertips, and we can use it without it being traced back to us."

Zabuza hadn't yet tightened the wrappings around his mouth and neck, so when he grinned his filed teeth gleamed with reflected sunlight. "Excellent. Then it's time to begin in earnest."

The younger Uchiha raised his hand. "So we're finally going to start fighting, instead of hiding in the woods like frightened pansies?"

The former Swordsman of the Hidden Mist glared at the boy pointedly. "Listen, runt," he said, pointing one finger threateningly at Sasuke, "you should know better than interrupting your elders and betters at a War Council. Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you."

Sasuke stuck out his tongue while the other boy laughed noiselessly, holding one hand delicately over his mouth.

"Good, now that that's settled," Zabuza continued, continuing to glare at Sasuke, "let's move on to Phase One: Gathering Intel and Finding Allies."

Sasuke smirked sarcastically. "Great name, Zabuza, did you come up with it all by yourself?" The next minute Zabuza had disappeared from his stump. He reappeared next to Sasuke, his elbow driving into the boy's stomach. There was an audible _whoompf _as the breath was forced out of his lungs.

"You like that, you cocky punk?" Zabuza sneered. "Now, will there be any further interruptions?"

Sasuke dropped to one knee, his eyes involuntarily tearing up. He winked at Haku, before looking up at Zabuza with an innocent expression. "Of course not, Zabuza-sama," Sasuke said, his voice coming out hoarse from the blow, but still cheerful. "Please, continue to enlighten us."

Zabuza looked like he was going to beat up Sasuke again for his impertinence, but Itachi stepped in and put a hand on the irate jonin's shoulder. "Please, you two, give it a rest. Sasuke, I understand you're itching for a fight since we've been hiding for so long, but could you please hold it in until we have an actual enemy in sight? And Zabuza, I'd appreciate it if you could keep yourself from pounding my impertinent brother into the dirt, for at least as long as it takes to tell us your plan."

The ex-Kiri nin shrugged. "Save the ass-kicking for after? Fine, that works for me." Zabuza went back to his stump, ignoring Sasuke's sharp retort.

"Here's the deal," Zabuza began, and this time Sasuke was silent. "This is my country, and I know it like the back of my hand. I know the rivers, the forests, the caves, but most of all I know the people. Specifically, I know one person better than anyone not currently serving as a shinobi of Kiri – I know the Mizukage."

Even Itachi was paying attention, because the identity of the Mizukage wasn't very widely known. He was a mysterious figure, and he guarded his village's secrets closely.

"Masanori is the Third Mizukage, and a crueler old bastard than you'll find anywhere. He's been in charge for over thirty years. He keeps an iron grip on the village, and has the daimyo pretty much in his pocket as well. He came into power back in the days of the war, when people with Kekkei Genkai were hated and feared. Masanori capitalized on that fear; he harnessed it by eradicating people with Kekkei Genkai wherever he could find them. Today people with a bloodline ability are hated and feared more than foreigners, famine, or disease. It seems ridiculous to most shinobi outside of Water Country, but here there's nothing more despised than a fighter with a genetic advantage."

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. He'd heard this before, but never had it spelled out clearly like this. It was hard to imagine a village that didn't honor powerful bloodline limits, like the those possessed by the main clans in Konoha. It was a sobering thought that, if Sasuke had been born in Kiri, he might well have been murdered before he even had a chance to grow up.

"That is our opening," Zabuza said, looking chiefly at Sasuke and Itachi. Haku had been with him for years, and knew all of this already. "The Mizukage rules through fear. He uses the people's fear of kekkei genkai to gain power, since he is strong enough to keep the people safe. We will reverse that fear, so that what the people come to fear most is the Mizukage himself. Believe me, it won't be hard. Masanori is a tyrant through and through, we just need to make everyone realize that. Then it will be up to us to kill Masanori, and by delivering the village from its tyrant, I will gain the right to lead the village as the next Mizukage."

Sasuke scratched his head. "That sounds fine, but how are you going to make the people fear their own ruler?"

"Simple," Zabuza declared. "We introduce a little mayhem. With a small group of fighters, we'll begin striking blows against the Mizukage. Nothing huge, but big enough to sting. We'll steal his supplies, and shipments going in and out of the village. We'll be ghosts in the mist, until the paranoid old man thinks he's surrounded by enemies. And when he lashes out, it won't be us that he hurts, but his own people. Then we'll be the saviors."

Sasuke's brow furrowed, trying to work it out. "Don't think too hard," Zabuza advised, "you'll hurt yourself. Your brother and I will take care of the planning, you just be ready to fight harder than you ever have in your life."

The boy's glare left Zabuza unfazed, and he turned to Itachi. "So that's half of the first phase. I'm going to raise a small band of shinobi, and we'll begin a guerilla campaign designed to provoke the Mizukage into retaliation."

Itachi's dark eyes betrayed no surprise at all. "I'm the inside man, then?"

Sasuke was swinging his head towards his brother, surprised that Itachi seemingly already knew what the second half of Zabuza's plan was.

"That's right," Zabuza answered. "You _were_ an ANBU captain, weren't you? So infiltration should be straight up your alley. While I'm raising hell in the countryside, you're going to worm your way into the village itself. We'll choose a time and place to meet, when you can provide us with specific information about what defenses the Mizukage has put in place."

Sasuke let out a triumphant shout, which he stifled a moment after, looking embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm just excited to be going on my first infiltration mission!"

Zabuza was looking around warily, trying to see if Sasuke's shout had disturbed anything in the surrounding woods. But it was quiet, so he turned to the younger boy. "You won't be going, runt. You'll be fighting with me."

"What?"

Zabuza ignored him, instead shooting a challenging glare at Itachi. "Sound good, Uchiha?"

Itachi's answering glance was overly mild, its lack of expression hiding a well of restrained violence. "It's acceptable to me. I assumed you would want some way of ensuring that I didn't betray you, and keeping Sasuke with you is as good a way as any. I only require that Haku come with me, to Kirigakure."

"Fine by me," Zabuza shrugged. "It's not like I care what happens to the brat anyway." Itachi looked unruffled, and Haku looked even a little excited to be traveling with the mysterious Uchiha.

"Wait, so I'm some kind of hostage?" Sasuke yelled. "This is bullshit, we're all friends. Why can't I go on the infiltration mission?"

Zabuza gave Sasuke a shark-grin, exposing his filed teeth maliciously. "If we're friends, then you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I thought you wanted to fight? If you're with me you'll actually see some action. With your brother, you're just going to be sneaking around."

"I don't know…" Sasuke's continued grumbling was cut off by Itachi, who stepped forward with his eyes on Zabuza.

"I think this is the best possible plan. Haku has more experience with disguises, and a poor farmer looking to set up shop in a village is a much more convincing disguise if that farmer has a daughter has a daughter to look out for. But if you really insist, Sasuke, I'm sure we can make another deal that Zabuza will agree to, so that you can come with me."

The horrified expression on Sasuke's face was pure gold. "You mean I'd have to dress as a _girl?_ No way in hell! Haku, you can have the job, I'm fighting with Zabuza!"

Since Itachi's back was to Sasuke, the younger Uchiha didn't see the twinkle in his brother's eye, or the quiet wink he sent at Zabuza. Zabuza didn't respond to the wink, because he was too busy watching Haku out of the corner of his eye. Zabuza's apprentice was looking down at the ground, a bemused expression on his face, mouthing words that looked like, "we're all friends here."

"How will we reconnect with you?" Itachi asked, bringing them firmly back to the plan.

Zabuza drew his sword and pointed it at the dilapidated barn. "That's why I picked this particular place for us to stay. No one lives here for miles around. We'll meet up in a month, in this same spot. And if everything goes to hell and you have to leave the village fast, just lay low on your own for a while. I guarantee you'll be able to pick up our trail before too long, and meet up with us. Your brother and I are going to be sending the Mizukage a message even his tired old eyes can't miss."

"A month, then," Itachi declared. "It's agreed. Come, Haku, there isn't much time and you have a lot to learn before we infiltrate the village."

"Yes, Itachi-san!" Haku followed the older Uchiha back to the barn, leaving Sasuke glaring at Zabuza, who was still sitting nonchalantly on his stump.

"So…" Zabuza began, peering at Sasuke with interest. "Are you any good with explosions?"

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, before breaking out into a huge grin.

oOoOo

Baki was getting a bad feeling. Normally he reported to the Kazekage at the end of every week, both on the status of the Council and on the development of the children in Sandstorm. There were still two days before that meeting, however, which was why Baki was worried that there might be some trouble afoot. The fact that Asuma and Kakashi had been summoned as well only increased his apprehension.

The three jonin were sitting outside the Kazekage's office, trying to see which one could look the most unconcerned. It was a close race, though Baki had to give the edge to Kakashi. He was reading his book, looking for all the world as if the Kazekage was waiting on _him_, instead of the other way around. Asuma was smoking a cigarette, while Baki had settled on just looking stone-faced. It was a specialty of his, which he had honed to near-perfection during hours of Council meetings. But even though he tried not to show it, Baki had a bad feeling about this meeting.

A chunin guard opened the door to the Kazekage's study, and motioned them inside. As they walked past, Baki noted the admiring and awestruck glance the chunin sent at Kakashi. Apparently word had spread about the former Copy-nin's defection to Suna, and his fame had guaranteed that he was an object of interest to all of Suna's forces who were in the know. Baki hid a smile as he reflected how dumbstruck the chunin might have been if he knew the identity of Kakashi's companion.

Asuma might not have the towering reputation that Kakashi had built for himself, but the bearded jonin bore a name that would command anyone's awe. The last living Sarutobi, here to fight for Suna. It was almost unbelievable, and Baki didn't know if people would believe him even if he told. Not that he ever would, because Asuma's identity was an SS-class secret.

The Kazekage was bent over a sheaf of papers when they entered, and for a full minute he barely spared them a glance. Some people might have interpreted this as a technique meant to intimidate visitors, by reminding them that they were only there at the Kazkage's sufferance and had to await his pleasure. But Baki was reasonably confident that the Kazekage was just very, very busy. His zealotry where the village was concerned drove the Kazekage to work harder than anyone else in maintaining and looking after Sunagakure. When Baki allowed himself to think critically of his superior at all, he always cited the Kazekage's willingness to work himself to the bone for the sake of his village.

The Fourth Kazekage looked up at last, putting aside his brush with a sigh. Baki, Kakashi, and Asuma stood at attention. "At ease," the Kazekage began. He eyed the three jonin speculatively, seeming to size them up with eyes. "So, here are the three Captains of Sandstorm. And how are you enjoying working together?"

Baki, to whom the Kazekage had chiefly addressed the question, answered immediately with, "Perfectly well, Kazekage-sama. Kakashi and Asuma are skilled shinobi and diligent teachers. Already the genin show much improvement."

The Kazekage looked sharply at Baki, as if he thought he was exaggerating of lying about the new senseis, but it was only the truth. With no other duties to attend to elsewhere in the village, Asuma and Kakashi had been devoting all of their time to getting to know their new teams, which took the form of grueling and strenuous training regimens. As this was exactly what the genin of Sandstorm had been waiting for – serious senseis willing to teach them more about the art of warfare – they had thrown themselves into training wholeheartedly. Baki couldn't wait to see what these nine children would accomplish. Gaara had always been in a class by himself, but now the others would start coming into their own as well.

As for Baki himself felt about the newcomers; well, he was more than satisfied. His fights with Asuma, and recently Kakashi as well, were things he looked forward to with more anticipation than he liked to admit. They were already rivals, and on their way to becoming good friends. Baki and Asuma had already swapped old war stories, which was one of the few ways it was possible to get on Baki's good side. During his years carrying out missions for the Kazekage, Baki had seen more action than most shinobi ever saw in their entire careers. But as one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, Asuma had stories even Baki couldn't hope to match.

If truth were to be told, sometimes Baki actually found it hard to remember that Kakashi and Asuma were outsiders. He kept having to remind himself that they were only here to serve the Kazekage's purpose, and might be cast off when he was done with them. Baki was more than familiar with the back-stabbing and political maneuvering that happened when Kages began plotting against each other. Baki could only hope that Asuma and Kakashi would prove their loyalty and usefulness to Suna, and that the Kazekage would recognize their service as it deserved.

Moving his gaze away from Baki, the Kazekage directed a new question towards the former Konoha jonin. "What are you teaching them?"

Kakashi and Asuma looked at each other, each inviting the other to speak. Kakashi shook his head politely, indicating that Asuma should speak. The bearded jonin nodded and turned to the Kazekage, lowering his head in a slight, respectful bow.

"We're mostly testing the extent of their skills and teamwork at this point, with a good deal of fitness training to prepare them for a more rigorous routine. So far they're more used to operating as a nine-man cell, so we've decided to get them used to working as part of a three-man team instead. They'll be more suited for carrying out a wide range of missions, in case you need to separate them. I'm teaching Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru, simply because, as a Sarutobi, I am familiar with the best methods of training InoShikaCho trios. Kakashi's got Shino, Kiba, and Sakura, and he's going to whip them into shape as a scouting squad. Baki's working with your children, although Kakashi and Kankuro work on their puppetry together."

At this, the Kazekage looked sharply at Kakashi. "Yes, I heard you had expressed an interest in learning our village's fighting style. Definitely an interesting choice, although given your reputation as a copy-cat, I can't say I'm surprised."

Looking unperturbed, Kakashi stretched out his left leg and shook it experimentally. Even though he knew it was prosthetic, Baki could see no irregularity in the way the leg moved at all. And from fighting Kakashi in the practice ring, Baki knew that the limb Chiyo had made for Kakashi really did work just fine. It had been a painful experience for Baki, but one that Baki hoped would be more painful for Suna's enemies.

"Honored Elder Chiyo does good work," Kakashi observed dryly. "And since her only request was that I employ Puppet style in the service of Sunagakure, I didn't think there was any reason not to oblige her. Your son is most helpful in teaching me the ins and outs of fighting with puppets."

At this Asuma stifled a laugh by turning it into a grunt, and even Baki had to tense his facial muscles so as not to display his amusement. Kankuro had not taken his defeat lying down, and continually challenged Kakashi to puppet duels. Kakashi continued to beat Kankuro effortlessly, each time gaining more and more control over his ninja tools by practicing with chakra threads. Kakashi didn't even have a puppet of his own yet, although Baki had noticed him examining Crow's inner workings a few times, when Kankuro had left the puppet in the equipment room.

"I'm glad to hear it," the Kazekage answered, either not noticing Asuma's aborted laugh or choosing to ignore it. "Well, now that we've done with the pleasantries, let's get to the real reason I called you in."

The Kazekage paused for a second, looking down at the piles of paper on his desk. He picked a few folders up, and pointed them at the three jonin deliberately. "I've been getting strange reports recently about Kirigakure. As you know, they've been fairly quiet since the last war. Part of that is because of their fierce distrust of outsiders. Finding out any information about the Bloody Mist is tough work, which is why all of my information is fragmentary and unreliable. But all reports say that something is going on in Kiri. Patrols have increased, and there's even been rumors of civil unrest. But as far as our information is concerned, Kiri might as well be permanently shrouded in the mist it's named for. We have nothing concrete."

Baki had heard some of these rumors in the Council, so he wasn't wholly unprepared. But for the Kazekage to be so concerned, there must have been more that Baki didn't know about.

The Kazekage put the reports back on his desk, and fixed the three jonin with a direct stare. "That's where you three come in. Or rather, that's where Sandstorm comes in. We need more information. An impending power struggle in Kiri could have ramifications for all the rest of the Major Shinobi Villages. We need to know what's happening, and if it really is a problem internal to Kiri or if other villages are involved. We're in a tough enough spot as it is, with our daimyo giving work away to Konoha. We can't afford to be taken by surprise."

Baki's bad feeling had been correct. The Kazekage was going to send Sandstorm on an information-gathering mission into potentially hostile territory, where discovery meant death. Even in peacetime, Kirigakure guarded its borders jealously and dealt with intruders harshly. This was shaping up to be a covert mission with a high probability of failure or death. Of course, one would mean the other, a thought which didn't exactly cheer Baki up.

"Kazekage-sama, with all due respect, I don't know if the genin are ready for –" the Kazekage cut him off with one hand.

"They're going to have to be, Baki. The Council needs to see some concrete results that Sandstorm isn't just a polite fiction meant to harbor dangerous runaways. I've been looking for an opportunity for a while now, and this is the only one. Besides, if you should fail in your mission, the fact that they are all genin should convince the Mizukage that I don't mean to take advantage of Kiri's instability to launch an attack. This is the course with the greatest possible gain, and the least possible risk. You're all going, and that's the end of it."

Baki could only bow and say, "Yes, Kazekage-sama."

The Kazekage turned back to his papers, secure that his orders wouldn't be questioned any further. "If that's all, then you may go. Report back tomorrow morning, ready to depart for Kiri. I'll brief the entire group then."

The three jonin bowed, and left the Kazekage's office without another word. When they were outside, Baki permitted himself the luxury of one irritated sigh. "I don't think they're ready."

Asuma laughed, somehow managing not to spit out or swallow the cigarette hanging precariously from his lower lip. "I disagree, my friend. You've seen these children grow up, so naturally you're more protective of them. But as a newcomer, I can see that these children are ready for much more than they've faced so far. More than that, they want it. I can see it in their eyes. Even if they're not ready, they need this."

Baki looked at Kakashi, who once again had his book out. "Do you feel the same way?"

"What?" Kakashi asked, as if he hadn't been listening. "…oh, right. I agree with Asuma. The kids need a trial by fire. Or water, I suppose, since we're going to Kiri. Anyway, we're going with them, so we can keep them safe."

"Yeah," Asuma chimed in. "Why, I'll bet that the rumors of unrest are just the newest way the Mizukage's found to keep his villagers in line. We'll be in and out in a week, you'll see."

But despite Asuma's reassurance, Baki couldn't share the other jonin's optimism. He could only hope that his own gloomy sense of foreboding turned out to be wrong.

oOoOo

It was a bleak day in the Land of Fire. Gray clouds hung heavy in the air, obscuring the afternoon sun. They hovered far above Hinata's head, their colorless despondency suiting her gloomy thoughts perfectly. All in all, it was hardly the kind of weather one wished for when about to embark on a quest. Perhaps if the sun had been shining, with the birds singing in the trees, Hinata would have been more optimistic about the success of her journey. But those grim clouds, and the general listlessness in the air, seemed to say that it was hopeless, and she might as well turn back. "Go home," the world seemed to be telling her, "you're of no use out here."

But Hinata was only too used to voices telling her she was no good. For years, she'd even started to believe it. No longer. She wasn't just plain Hinata any more, the girl who couldn't meet someone's eyes without blushing; no, now she was one of two shinobi entrusted with Konoha's future. And nothing would keep her from her path, not the Uchiha, not those gloomy clouds, not even Naruto – but here Hinata resolutely pushed those painful thoughts away. Naruto was part of her past, which she had given up to go with Jiraiya. It was time to fight for the future.

There was enough time before dinner to get a workout in, Hinata decided. Jiraiya was off covering their tracks, making sure that no one had discovered that Hinata had been replaced. Hinata could practice her forms, and finish before he returned. Then, after dinner, he would begin examining the Seal.

As she began her warm-ups, performing the basic jyuken motions at quarter speed, Hinata let her mind wander. More than anything, her thoughts kept circling back to her home in the servants' quarters. How was Hanabi doing without her? The younger girl was fiercely independent, but she'd never lived without her older sister before. Of course, Rose was there, but that was a problem in and of itself.

What was this Rose like, Hinata wondered. Was she kind? Would she look after Hanabi, even though it wasn't her primary mission? Hinata was heartbroken that she had to leave, but at least her grandmother would be there to make sure someone had Hanabi's best interests at heart.

Soon Hinata changed to half-speed, focusing on perfecting the fluidity of the motions. She channeled her chakra with precision to every part of her body, feeling the rush of exhilaration that accompanied the deliberate molding of chakra. When she was thoroughly warmed up Hinata began shadow-boxing at full speed. She ran up and down the sides of trees, imagining that the reaching branches were enemy swords and spears.

Many minutes and imaginary corpses later, Hinata came to a stop. Belatedly, she realized Jiraiya was standing at the edge of the camp, watching her with a strange expression on his face.

"That was impressive," Jiraiya told her, walking forward into the camp. "You exhibit much better chakra control than many genin out of the Academy, even though you never trained in the Academy at all. Did you have a teacher?"

It was a good thing Hinata was out of breath, because she otherwise her surprise and fear would have been obvious. As it was, she just took an extra-deep breath and then let it out slowly. She considered carefully how to respond, because she couldn't tell Jiraiya about Naruto. After all, how could she expect anyone to believe that she had been tutored in the ninja arts by none other than the Hokage's son? In some ways it would even be worse if Jiraiya believed her, because he might stop trusting Hinata. Yes, Hinata decided, she had to lie, but mix it with enough truth to be believable.

Hinata looked at Jiraiya casually, meeting his eyes without drawing attention to herself. After years of using the byakugan to observe the tiniest changes of facial features and muscle movement, Hinata knew exactly how to lie without letting it show on her face. "I sneaked out on my own for the most part," Hinata said. "But my cousin Neji is on a genin squad, and he has a teammate named Tenten. She taught me the basic chakra control exercises, and I practiced until I got them right."

Jiraiya didn't look suspicious, only impressed. He began to pull out the implements for supper out of his bag, and started laying them out next to their modest campfire. "Well, you picked them up quickly. I was worried that you wouldn't know anything about being a ninja, and I'd have to start from scratch. But you're ready to train with me."

"What?" Hinata was shocked. "I thought you were just going to undo the Seal?" She went to her own pack, to pull out a few ingredients for a simple meal. She began to prepare it, working next to Jiraiya who was scouring the pots with some sand a scrubbing brush.

"I am," Jiraiya declared, "but I can't work on the Seal non-stop. It's an exhausting process, not to mention the not-so-tiny detail that I have almost no idea where to start. Best case, this is going to take at least a month, and realistically it's going to take a lot longer than that. In that same time I'll also devote myself to making you the best shinobi you can be."

Hinata bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama."

The Toad Sage waved a hand in irritation. "None of that, now. Yes, I'm a world-famous author and one of the best shinobi living, but no need for such formality." He grinned at her, his white teeth shining. "Just call me Jiraiya, or sensei if you prefer!"

"Of course, sensei." Hinata and her new sensei sat down together with a meal that, while simple, was warm and filling. While they were eating, Jiraiya assured Hinata that her escape had gone unnoticed. Rose was safely established in the servants' quarters, and the Uchiha were none the wiser.

When they were done, Jiraiya started cleaning the few dishes they'd used. "You just rest," he told Hinata. "Once I start working on the Seal, you're going to need all of your strength. It won't be an easy process."

Hinata began pacing around the camp. She was too excited, too afraid, to do anything so rational as rest. Would she soon be free of the Seal at last?

As the minutes passed by slowly, Hinata tried to keep one eye focused on Jiraiya's preparations. The sannin was rummaging around in his bags, taking out scrolls and brushes seemingly willy-nilly. Finally he gave an exasperated sigh, and tossed his pack aside violently. "This won't be any help," Hinata heard him mutter. "I'll just have to do this old-school. Come here, you," he said with mock irritation, gesturing to Hinata with one hand. "We might as well see what we're working with here. This Seal is going to be a tricky; none of my usual sealing items are of much use with something as complex as this."

Hinata was growing increasingly more apprehensive, but she went over to Jiraiya and sat down upon a convenient stump. The Toad Sage squatted on his heels before her, examining her forehead with a quizzical glance. "I'm going to start with a technique meant to tell me more about the nature of the Seal. It requires very delicate chakra control, but it shouldn't disturb the Seal in any way. All right?"

Hinata nodded, and Jiraiya reached out to touch the Seal, the faintest possible glow wreathing his fingers. "Three… two… one… now." But as Hinata felt the chakra come in contact with her skin, her forehead began to burn. She jerked her head back involuntarily. Jiraiya frowned in confusion, but then a look of comprehension dawned in his eyes, followed by an expression of regret and dismay.

"Bad news, I'm afraid. The Seal has a built-in trap; anyone trying to examine the Seal with a jutsu like the one I just used springs the trap, which will make your Seal activate involuntarily. Luckily, my chakra control is good enough that I managed to keep the trap from triggering completely."

Hinata's heart was sinking fast. Was it going to turn out to be impossible after all? Was the Curse Seal just too difficult to break? "What happens if you try again?"

Jiraiya shook his head, his eyes momentarily taking on a haunted cast. "If I try and delve too deeply, the Seal will self-destruct and kill you. It's a fail-safe measure that must have been built into the Seal by the Hyuga family, to keep the branch family from ever betraying the secret of the byakugan."

Hinata stood up abruptly, sharply feeling the need to be doing something, anything, instead of giving in to the despair that was welling up inside of her. "So that's it? The Seal is unbeatable, and the village is doomed to slavery? Why did you even bother rescuing me, if that's the case?"

"Hold on, now, that's not what I said at all." Jiraiya spoke in a soothing tone, holding his hands out to forestall her storming away. "Unfortunately for us, the ancient Hyugas knew their work. But it is not hopeless. We just need to find someone whose chakra control is so perfect that the Seal won't even know it's being examined. Luckily, I know exactly the person. It's just that she's hard to find, so I wanted to try on my own first."

"Who is this person," Hinata demanded, driven by her anger to speak more sharply than she would have dared to before. "And why are you so confident that she can succeed where you can't? Aren't you supposed to be one of the best Seal masters alive?"

Jiraiya tossed his hair back proudly, pounding his chest in a grandiose posture. "Of course! I, Jiraiya of the Sannin, am second to none in my knowledge of sealing techniques. But my friend is also one of the Sannin, and her control over her chakra is enough to make you weep with envy. Her name is Tsunade, perhaps the greatest medic nin of all time."

Hinata had heard stories of Tsunade, just as she had of Jiraiya. They were two of the three Sannin, some of Konoha's strongest shinobi before the team had broken up long ago. Though she didn't know much, Hinata knew this woman had a reputation that stretched across nations.

Jiraiya watched Hinata thinking it through, and nodded happily. "Yes, once we find Tsunade we can really begin. She can tell me more about how the Seal is constructed without activating it, and then I can begin finding a way to neutralize it."

"So where is she? We have no time to lose!"

But at this innocent question, Jiraiya abandoned his grand pose. He rubbed the back of his head, and grinned sheepishly at Hinata. "Ah, about that… I don't, at this precise moment, know where she is. I mean, not exactly."

"What?" Now Hinata was extremely exasperated. This Tsunade was the one woman who could help them, and Jiraiya didn't even know how to find her?

"It's not my fault!" Jiraiya protested, seeing Hinata was getting fed up. "She moves around a lot, and nobody's better than her at staying under the radar. But while I don't know where she is, I know how to find her."

Hinata crossed her arms, feeling more and more as if there was something she wasn't picking up on. "And how do we do that, exactly?"

Jiraiya gave her an impish grin that, for a fleeting moment, reminded Hinata strongly of Naruto. "Simple," said the sannin, "we just look for the horde of angry debtors."

**A/N: **Just a short chapter, setting things up for the civil war in Kiri and Hinata's journey. I hope you enjoy my version of the Search for Tsunade arc! This time it's Hinata who gets to enjoy the Pervy Sage's training while searching for Tsunade, but the question remains: Will she be able to inspire the Slug Sannin to once again take up arms for her conquered village? Only one way to find out!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **It's been a long time since my last update, for which I apologize. Life always seems to get in the way of the important stuff. In other news, as of last chapter Rise of the Uchiha passed the 300-review mark! Thanks once again to everybody who has reviewed – this story wouldn't be here without you. Now back to the revolution!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 20**

Something was beginning to worry Zabuza. It was a niggling sensation that refused to go away, like an itch he couldn't scratch. It had to do, he knew, with the Uchiha brat he was traveling with. Sasuke was a cocky little shit and no mistake, and lost no opportunity to push Zabuza's buttons. But that in itself didn't worry him; it was more the growing sense that, even when Sasuke was doing his best to aggravate him, Zabuza wasn't getting very angry. And though he yelled at Sasuke and knocked him cold a few times, Zabuza knew he was starting to get almost as comfortable traveling with the younger Uchiha as he was with Haku.

Sasuke's brashness and determination to be the best appealed to Zabuza. After all, he had once been a child very similar, at least before the genin trials where he had killed his year-mates. The kid was good, damn good, and he knew it. He didn't take any shit from Zabuza or let his bloodthirsty reputation scare him; in fact, Sasuke seemed to have decided that they were friendly rivals, and that Zabuza had better just go with it. After his first few attempts to cow Sasuke into proper obedience had failed, Zabuza opted to just accept that there were a few people he couldn't intimidate. Rather than waste his energy trying, he decided to get his revenge during training. There was a largely vindictive, but no less satisfying, pleasure in showing Sasuke that no matter what he might think, he had a long way to go before he could dream of facing the Demon of the Bloody Mist on the battlefield.

And if he experienced a strange sense of fulfillment when he saw how fast Sasuke was improving under his tutelage; well, nobody ever needed to know. A hidden fondness for teaching was not something that a hardened murderer could admit to, and still expect to hold respect through fear. Still, Zabuza had to admit, if only to himself, that he enjoyed teaching Sasuke every bit as much as he had enjoyed teaching Haku. Though the two boys were as different in temperament as it was possible to be, Zabuza didn't think there could be two more hard-working students anywhere. Even though he grumbled more than Haku did (more than anyone, for that matter), Sasuke threw himself into each new lesson determined not to quit until he had it mastered. And little by little, the boy was earning Zabuza's grudging respect.

Did that mean that Zabuza was going to stop being sadistic in his training methods? _Hell_ no!

From within the veil of mist created by his technique, Zabuza heard soft footsteps belonging to someone trying to be stealthy. He threw a senbon at the source of the sound.

"Owww! Damn it, Zabuza! Was that necessary?"

Zabuza stifled a smile at Sasuke's startled outburst. "Come on, Sasuke, my grandmother is stealthier than that! How do you expect to fight Kiri shinobi if you can't master Silent Killing technique? Your sharingan is worthless in this country, remember."

"But senbon?" Sasuke's voice yelled back. "Honestly, you couldn't use blunted kunai or sticks or something? That _hurt_!"

Zabuza shrugged, though Sasuke couldn't see it. "If you can dodge a senbon, you can dodge just about anything. And when you can't see your hand in front of your face, it's difficult to avoid thrown weapons. That makes this the most important survival skill you can possess while fighting in the mist. You don't want me to treat you like a porcupine? Then don't let me hear you moving! We're practicing _Silent_ Killing, remember?"

"Sure, I remember. Asshole."

Zabuza sent a flurry of senbon in the direction of the incorrigible Sasuke, but instead of a second howl he heard a pop like a balloon being punctured. Zabuza turned around immediately, cursing himself for taking Sasuke lightly.

_Damn, the kid learns fast. Suckered me into bantering, like a raw genin. I didn't even hear him replaced himself with a clone. Where are you, you little brat?_

Then Zabuza heard the slight _whoosh_ of something flying through the air behind him, from the direction of the clone he'd destroyed. He turned just in time, and used one of the senbon he'd been about to throw to deflect Sasuke's kunai. With the other hand he punched Sasuke in the gut, hard enough to drive him to his knees and clear the wind from his lungs. While Sasuke wheezed, Zabuza made the hand seals to dispel the Hidden Mist jutsu.

When the last of the water vapor disappeared, Zabuza was standing in the middle of his campsite, with Sasuke catching his breath beside him. They were in a small clearing in the forest, well away from any roads or farms. Sasuke heaved himself to his feet, and shot a cross glare at Zabuza.

"What are you doing? I'm not finished yet!"

"Looked to me like you were," Zabuza shot back. "Besides, I'm hungry. Dealing with your inferiority gives me an appetite."

Sasuke made a rude hand gesture. "Inferior my ass! I almost got you that time."

"Ha!" Zabuza scoffed. "Not a chance. I'll admit, you've improved since last time. It was a smart idea to try attacking through the air."

Sasuke's smile almost split his face in two. It was, Zabuza realized belatedly, the first time he'd outright praised Sasuke's progress. He'd have to backtrack.

"Wasn't it, though?" Sasuke crowed. "I made a shadow clone, and stood on his shoulders. I knew you'd throw more senbon, so immediately after I taunted you I had my clone launch me threw the air. I figured once you knew you'd been talking to a clone, you wouldn't expect the real attack to come from the same direction."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a friggin' genius," Zabuza drawled. "But you're still not good enough to use this for real. Jumping through the air might work once, but it still makes noise. You need to become stealthy enough that you can move across the ground at close to full speed, without making any noise at all. That's the only way you'll ever be able to use Silent Killing against a shinobi with any decent level of skill."

Zabuza was expecting Sasuke to talk back, but the younger Uchiha only nodded thoughtfully. Zabuza decided it was time for a little extra motivation.

"I still can't get over the fact that you beat Haku. He picked up Silent Killing twice as fast as you. If you'd had to fight him in the mist, you would have lost."

Sasuke glared at him, but then smirked knowingly. "I guess that means I'll have to work twice as hard, doesn't it? I'll go get us some food; I'm sure you're too worn out to hunt after such a strenuous workout of throwing needles at a kid."

He used Body Flicker jutsu and was gone before Zabuza had a chance to talk back.

_The little shit always seems to get the last word. That's all right, I'll just make sure to use real kunai during our next session._

oOoOo

Despite its recent start, Sandstorm was a highly respected organization in Suna. The villagers regarded its masked members as almost legendary figures. And Kakashi knew better than most just how skilled the Sandstorm genin were, since he trained with them every day. He had the highest respect for the skills of the nine children, who had worked with single-minded intensity almost constantly for the past four years. But at times he was unpleasantly reminded that the genin were, for all their skill and determination, still children. Nowhere was that fact clearer than in a cramped motorboat heading to Water Country, after more than a week at sea.

"Quit shoving, Ino!"

"I'm not shoving, there's just no room! It'd be fine if you weren't so chubby, Choji!"

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Hey, you stepped on Akamaru's tail. Watch it, Kankuro!"

Kakashi gave a long-suffering sigh, and took refuge in his tattered copy of Icha Icha Paradise. He could help Asuma and Baki break up the squabbles between the fed-up genin, but it was just too much _work_. The only time he'd taken an active hand in maintaining discipline on the boat was when a gust from Temari's fan, which had been aimed at Kankuro, accidentally tore his book from his hands. If he'd been a second slower with his chakra strings the book would have fallen into the sea. After that the nine genin had discovered what killing intent really was. Kakashi hadn't heard a squeak from them until after they finished sailing around Tea Country.

This sea voyage was just one of the many tedious necessities that were part of a shinobi's duty. In order to make it to Water Country undetected, they had to sail close to the shoreline around Tea Country and through the outlying islands around the main island where Kirigakure was located. The overland route would have taken them through Konoha, which was too dangerous. So instead, nine genin and three jonin had piled into a motorboat with barely enough room for twelve bedrolls, and set off for Water Country. A week later everyone was nearing the end of their patience, and the only thing that stopped them bickering was the prospect of nearing land at last.

"Shut up!" Baki said, his voice pitched low yet easily cutting across the genin's argument. "We'll be entering hostile territory soon, and water is our enemy's element. Just because you can't see anyone doesn't mean we're alone out here. So shut your mouths or I'll shut them for you."

The genin stopped fighting, although Ino gave Choji one last punch in the arm. He settled for sticking his tongue out at her. Temari and Kankuro, surprisingly enough, hadn't been fighting, although it might have helped that Gaara was sitting between them, just waiting to administer discipline.

Shikamaru might have dared a dry comment, but he was busy struggling with his seasickness. By this time he was done throwing up (Kiba's threats might have sped up that process, because the Inuzuka's sensitive nose had made him very unhappy with the situation). However, he was still pale with a greenish tinge, like milk left out for too long.

When it was clear that the genin were cooperating, Baki continued. "I don't know what kind of security we might run into, although we've aimed for a location that is extremely remote, and far from any population centers. But we don't know anything about Kiri's border security, so be prepared for anything."

"Remember," Asuma chimed in, extinguishing his last cigarette with a sigh, "we can't be discovered. If a patrol spots us, not a single soul must escape."

Nine heads nodded seriously. Gaara spoke up, his voice calm and sure. "We know what we're getting into, don't worry. Shikamaru has briefed us a hundred times; we're as prepared as we can be."

Akamaru gave a very quiet bark as an affirmative. Kiba added fiercely, "Kiri won't know what hit it. This isn't our first rodeo, you know."

Kakashi judged it was time to put away his book, although he did so regretfully. Missions always seemed to get in the way of the important things in life, and this one didn't even relate directly to taking back Konoha. That was the only objective that Kakashi held foremost in his thoughts. But he was a professional, and that was how he would carry out this mission: professionally.

"Overconfidence will get you killed, and put your friends in danger," he told Kiba mildly. "Look around at your teammates, and ask yourself if you want to lose any of them because you felt that nothing could hurt you."

Kiba lowered his head, ashamed. Sakura patted him on the arm, sending silent reassurance.

"You all know the plan," Asuma went on, "but let's go over it one more time, keeping in mind that no plan lasts longer than first contact with the enemy. Shikamaru, run it."

The seasick genin drew himself up admirably, and waved off Sakura's helping hand. "Our first objective is to get inland fast, and find a defensible and hidden position to make camp. The nearer we are to the sea the more we're at a disadvantage if Kiri shinobi discover us. We sink the motorboat and move quickly, neutralizing any threats along the way."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "They say the best plans are always the simplest ones, and if that's true then we've definitely got the best plan. Look sharp, everyone. Here comes the mist."

Sure enough, the motorboat was headed straight into a blanket of thick mist that completely blocked out sight. Everyone was so tense as to be practically vibrating – just waiting for some danger to appear. From out of the mist came the ghostly form of land, some ten yards away and growing closer. In spite of their professional readiness, many of the genin breathed sighs of relief at the fact that their sea voyage was finally over.

"Everyone out now," Baki whispered. They were still a ways away from land, but the reason for their early disembarking became clear when Baki used his wind blade to cut a large hole in the bottom of the boat. It took on water extremely fast, sinking within minutes beneath the sea. Once they completed the mission, they would have to find (that is, steal) another boat to take them back home.

The group water-walked to shore, and immediately assumed a formation that felt natural because of long hours of practice. Kakashi took point with Kiba, whose nose would hopefully be able to alert them to any danger before it appeared. Shino and Gaara took rear guard; Gaara so that he could see the entire group and use his sand to defend them all if attacked, and Shino so that he could more easily communicate with the bugs left behind them to make sure no one followed. Baki and Asuma each took one flank; Baki with Kankuro and Temari, and Asuma with Choji and Sakura. Shikamaru and Ino were directly in the middle, partly because they were weakest in hand-to-hand combat but also because they were the command center for the group.

Shikamaru's job was to keep track of the tactical situation, and with Ino's help he could relay orders or observations to anyone in the group without actually speaking. Ino's silent mental communication was only one of the many skills deriving from her clan abilities that, while non-violent, were still invaluable during combat situations.

Sandstorm moved out on full alert, heading directly inland toward a more thickly forested area. The lush vegetation around them surprised Kakashi. Nothing could make a stronger contrast with the harsh desert environment that had become his home. Here danger could be anywhere, hidden within the mists or behind one of the many trees. Kakashi preferred the desert sand, where you could see anything coming a long way off. Of course, things could hide in the sand, but Kakashi felt secure knowing that Gaara had that avenue of attack covered. Here danger might take unfamiliar forms, and the enemy had the home field advantage. For a shinobi, that advantage was often all it took to determine the course of a battle before it even started.

After an hour passed without seeing another human soul, Kakashi felt his tension beginning to recede. They were far from Kiri, after all, and the village had a relatively small shinobi population so it wasn't likely that they would have far-ranging patrols. Kakashi had just begun to consider asking Baki and Asuma if they wanted to stop and set up a base, when Kiba froze next to Kakashi. The Inuzuka sniffed hard, and his lips drew back to bare his teeth in a snarl. In a fraction of a second the shinobi of Sandstorm were tensed to spring.

Kakashi looked back, only to see Shino reacting as well. The bug user sent Kakashi the hand sign for "danger approaching," and then held up two fingers. The message was clear, but there was a better way to figure out how to react to the approaching threat. Kakashi looked at Ino, who wore an expression of intense concentration as she communicated wordlessly with both Kiba and Shino. When they were finished she met Kakashi's gaze.

_Kiba says there's two of them coming at us in front. Shino's bugs report two from behind. What should we do?_

Kakashi nodded his head, processing the possibilities and counter-measures that he needed to explore.

_It's most likely a squad on patrol. Worst case, it's hunter nin that have somehow caught on to us. If it's the worst case, there may be more we didn't sense. Let's meet them head-on. One team in each direction, with Baki's team in reserve. Tell Gaara, Shikamaru and Shino to use the Sandtrap. Remember: fast and quiet._

Ino relayed the orders, and everyone took their Sandstorm masks out of their packs. Asuma and his team faced the rear, while Kakashi, Sakura, Kiba, and Shino looked ahead. Baki's team stayed in the middle, ready to respond if reinforcements showed up from the flanks or if either of the two-man teams proved too strong for Kakashi's or Asuma's squads.

At first all was silence. Then everything seemed to happen at once. Kakashi saw two shinobi emerge from the tree cover ahead. They obviously hadn't known their targets were so numerous, because Kakashi could see the looks of sudden fear on their faces. Both shinobi wore the headbands of Kiri, but since their faces bore no blank masks he knew they couldn't be hunter nin. Kakashi said a silent prayer of thanks; as good as Sandstorm might be, meeting Kiri's elite fighters during their first battle outside of Wind country might have been too much. As it was, the two shinobi facing Kakashi's squad didn't stand a chance.

There was a slight buzzing sound as Shino's part of the trap sprung. A large cloud of menacing insects surfaced behind the two shinobi, where they had gathered once Shino knew danger was coming. Kakashi knew a second cloud would be rising behind the other two shinobi fighting Asuma's team. The first two looked back and shouted instinctively, moving closer to the Sandstorm group in their haste to avoid the bugs.

Then, from his position in the middle of the formation, Gaara initiated the second phase of Sandtrap. Sand poured from his gourd, shooting out horizontally at waist level, and then splitting into four thick whips, which sped around the Kiri nin and met behind them. The result was a huge figure-eight of sand, which enclosed both pairs of enemy shinobi with a wall that was rapidly growing higher.

Shikamaru had already activated his shadow, and melded it with the shadow cast by the sand. It was easy for him to split it into four tendrils, which the Kiri nin didn't even see coming. They were still distracted watching the wall of sand, and thinking of how best to avoid the swarms of bugs coming straight for them. Shikamaru's shadow diverged from the sand's shadow, and anchored all four enemy nin.

"Kagemane complete, Sandtrap successful" he said with satisfaction. On Kakashi's side, Sakura threw a pair of poisoned senbon at the helpless opponents. In seconds the paralytic poison reached their bloodstream, and they sank unconscious to the ground. Kakashi turned his head quickly to check on the other two. Asuma had opted for a less elegant method of rendering his opponents unconscious, as Kakashi could see when Choji bludgeoned them both with his Partial Multi-Size jutsu.

"Are we secure?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"Akamaru and I don't smell any more," Kiba responded. Shino only nodded his head slightly, to confirm that he too didn't sense any more attackers.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Good. Now, we need to dispose of these four quickly, but well enough that they won't be found for a long time."

Ino raised a hand confidently, drawing Kakashi's attention. "Sensei, I can handle this. Gaara, could you bring the bodies over here? There's a dear."

Gaara sent tendrils of sand to float the unconscious shinobi over to Ino, muttering all the while that he was _not_ a pack mule. Ino ignored him, and put her hands on one of the men's forehead. Her eyes glazed over, and she went limp without warning. Kakashi watched with considerable astonishment. He recognized the technique as Yamanaka mind-reading, but he'd had no idea just how far Ino had progressed in mastering the abilities of her clan.

A minute later Ino stood back up, and shook her head briskly. "Whoo, that was unpleasant. Anyway, this guy has no idea who we are. They have a low-level sensor who picked up on Gaara's chakra output, but didn't recognize how strong he actually was. They thought it might someone with a kekkei genkai, roaming around randomly. They _really_ don't like kekkei genkai. I wiped his mind clean of the last hour, so we don't have to kill him if you don't want to."

Kakashi considered for a second. It would be neater to leave the four shinobi alive, and there was less chance that their failure to report to their superiors would result in a large-scale hunt.

"That will work much better. Thanks, Ino. Clean the rest out, but make sure to check whether they know anything about civil unrest in Water Country. That's why we're here, after all. Just keep it short. I want to be moving in five minutes."

Ino nodded sharply. "Yes, sensei." As ordered, she finished modifying the enemies' memories in a little over four minutes. She stood up to complete her report to Kakashi, wearing a dissatisfied grimace.

"They don't know anything. It's just a chunin squad on a routine patrol, and if they know anything about the state of the country or the village it's buried deeper down."

"Not a problem," Kakashi reassured her. "You did well. By the way, how did you ever learn how to use your clan's techniques at such a high level? I know Jiraiya brought the scrolls with the clan techniques to Suna, but for some things you need a teacher."

Ino shrugged, and took off her Sandstorm mask. The girl's tone, normally so loud and abrasive, became quiet and thoughtful.

"Jiraiya taught me as much as he could from the scrolls, and then the Kazekage had me practice on convicted prisoners. At first I didn't want to do it, because getting the techniques wrong can cause mental damage. But after seeing what some of those people were thinking, I didn't mind so much any more."

Kakashi remained silent, seeing for perhaps the first time the hardness that lay underneath the surface of Ino's usual exterior. It was the same hardness possessed by the other orphans, and it both saddened and humbled him. At that moment Kakashi knew he was where he was supposed to be. This was his place; teaching these children, protecting them, and fighting with them until they reached their goal.

He turned away from Ino abruptly, not wanting to show any of the sympathy in his face. She didn't need or want it, and it wouldn't do any good even if she did. "Come on," he ordered roughly. "Let's get moving."

oOoOo

When Sasuke returned to camp, he brought with him two rabbits and a handful of edible mushrooms and watercress. Zabuza already had a fire burning brightly, after using a water jutsu to make sure that the fire gave off almost no smoke. The drier the wood used in a fire, the less smoke it gave off; all Zabuza had had to do was pull the moisture out of the wood, thereby reducing the smoke it produced to almost nothing. It was also a handy trick if you wanted to start a fire in the rain.

Sasuke tossed one of the rabbits to Zabuza, and they proceeded to skin the animals and start roasting them over the fire. Then they put the vegetables in a cast-iron pot with a little water, and sat back to wait. Zabuza watched the rabbits lazily, until he noticed Sasuke watching him surreptitiously. He tried to ignore the Uchiha, thinking that the headstrong boy would share whatever he was thinking about soon enough. But the silence stretched out, until Zabuza couldn't stand it any more.

"What is it?" he snapped at last. "Your devil-eyes are burning a hole in my forehead, so spit it out already."

Sasuke jumped, clearly surprised that Zabuza had noticed him staring. "Well, uh…" he stammered, sounding for the first time no older than his thirteen years. But in a second the indecision was gone, replaced by steely purpose. He looked at the ground as if searching for a source of strength, and then back up at Zabuza.

"You should be nicer to Haku!"

Zabuza just stared. Sasuke's face grew redder by degrees, but no less determined. Zabuza began slowly, as if talking to a baby. "What in the world gave you the impression that you have the right to talk to me about how I treat my followers? Do you think we're friends or something? Let me assure you, we're not."

He stood up as he spoke, and directed some killing intent toward the young Uchiha. Sasuke braced himself as if straining to pick up a heavy load.

"You can try and intimidate me all you want," Sasuke said, his voice growing louder as he went on. "But you can't fool me! You care about Haku, even if you don't show it. So why are you so horrible to him?"

"Has Haku complained to you about my treatment of him?" Zabuza's voice was beginning to take on a dangerous edge.

"Of course not," Sasuke replied sharply. "He wouldn't complain if you told him to slit his own threat. He might even thank you for it, the dumb-ass. But that's not the point. Trust has to go both ways, or else you're betraying the people who depend on you."

Zabuza could smell the rabbits beginning to burn, but he wasn't about to stop this conversation without first putting Sasuke thoroughly in his place. How dare the little shit lecture him?

"Not that it's any of your business, but I do trust Haku. I trust him to do what I say, when I say. That's what I require of him, and that's what he agreed to. If he changes his mind, he has only to leave."

Sasuke scoffed angrily. "Leave? You know he can't leave; he's only what he is because you made him that way. Without you he has no purpose. And he wouldn't have a single friend – at least, he wouldn't have before he met me. You know, before I got to know you I wanted to kill you for what you did to Haku. But now I know you're just being stubborn about admitting what you feel."

"Haku doesn't need friends. Friends make you weak. Friends betray you."

Sasuke waved a hand impatiently. "Don't you think I know that? My brother and I were betrayed by our own family. Itachi taught me to trust nobody, not even him, because it's the people who love us that can hurt us worst of all. But that doesn't mean it's right to always live alone. You want to be Mizukage, right? But a Kage has to protect and care for all of the villagers. How can you do that if you can't even admit that you care for your closest follower? If you treat the village like you treat Haku, you'd be a worse tyrant than Masanori."

When Zabuza spoke, his voice was sharp and cold as the edge of a blade. "This conversation is over. If you say another word my sword will drink your blood."

Sasuke stared at him in mute outrage, but didn't test Zabuza's threat. Instead, he reached for one of the rabbits, which was now thoroughly burnt. He tore into it angrily, tearing it with his teeth as if it was the rabbit that had provoked his wrath.

"Be prepared for tomorrow," Zabuza said through clenched teeth. "We're meeting with a clan that I hope will join our cause. But they may require some persuasion."

Instead of responding, Sasuke continued to eat his meal. Zabuza snorted angrily, grabbed the second rabbit off of the spit, and went to the opposite side of the camp to eat.

Later that night, Zabuza found himself unable to sleep. Sasuke's words kept coming back to him, as well as the young Uchiha's angry, accusing eyes. It was a long time before his own eyes finally closed.

oOoOo

Though many thoughts were swirling in Itachi's active mind, one kept insistently pushing the others aside.

_Haku really does look extraordinarily like a girl_.

That was all Itachi could think when he saw Haku in his costume. The quiet boy had let his hair down, and was wearing a flower-print kimono. Even with all of his experience in disguise and infiltration, Itachi could almost believe he was seeing a 12-year-old girl.

Itachi himself was wearing a farmer's patched smock, heavy boots, and a large straw hat. After looking at himself in the reflection of a slow-moving river, he opted not to tell Sasuke about this particular choice. He was used to Sasuke thinking everything he did was cool, and the outfit he had on was almost as far from cool as it was possible to be.

"What's the first rule of passing as a farmer?" Itachi asked suddenly. Haku didn't even jump. The boy was hard to startle; much harder than Sasuke usually was.

"Don't move like a shinobi."

"That's right," Itachi confirmed. "Shinobi move with perfect balance and precision. No one else does. Spotting someone who has been trained in stealth is not difficult, for someone with a trained eye. I knew an ANBU who liked to throw senbon at random villagers, just to see if they would react in time. I saw him catch more than one spy that way, by identifying who was quicker or cleverer than they had a right to be."

Haku internalized all of this without batting an eye. It was a little unnerving for Itachi to teach someone so passive. Sasuke had constantly asked questions, and challenged Itachi to explain more. Haku had yet to speak before being spoken to. At first Itachi had worried that Haku's non-responsiveness meant that he was slow or stupid. But it didn't take long before he realized that Haku, far from being dull, was actually something of a genius. He just didn't talk back to his sensei, something that Itachi had long ago despaired of teaching Sasuke.

In a way Itachi was reminded of how he had been as a younger child, when all that had mattered to him was becoming the strongest shinobi. He hadn't asked questions either. And Haku picked up new lessons with a speed that Itachi had to respect.

The landscape began to change, reflecting the pair's growing proximity to Kirigakure. The land around the village was some of the most fertile in the country, and was home to most of the larger farms. The village itself was nestled in a valley, where it lay almost always covered by a thick layer of mist.

That was where Itachi and Haku were heading, and where they hoped to find a place to begin gathering information on the Mizukage and his forces. They came to the edge of the valley just as the sun was beginning to dip low over the horizon. The entire village was spread out before them, with mountains towering high in the background.

The village was full of trees, some growing on top of buildings and lining the streets. The buildings were largely squat and cylindrical, with one rising up higher than the others, in the exact center of the village. Itachi pointed it out to Haku.

"That's the Mizukage's residence, where most of the official buildings are kept. Take a good look while you can; I'm sure we'll be spending more time there than anywhere else in Kiri."

Itachi then began the descent into the valley, with Haku close behind. As they walked, Itachi noticed four shinobi hidden around the main road. They were good, but clumsy when compared with his level of skill. One of them leapt away, probably announcing the arrival of strangers.

Sure enough, when Itachi and Haku reached the gate a pair of chunin were standing on the ramparts waiting to meet them. Itachi had never been to Kiri proper before (although he'd carried out more than a few reconnaissance missions in Water Country), and he was surprised at just how low the walls were, at least compared to Konoha. It didn't seem particularly defensible, but then Itachi reflected that the Hidden Mist was potentially a more effective wall than one made of brick and mortar.

"Who are you?" one of the chunin called out. He looked young, only a few years older than Itachi, and wore a thin beard that showed he was trying to look older. His tone was officious and pompous, and not nearly as impressive as he no doubt wanted it to be. "State your names and business here."

Itachi held out his hands in a peaceful gesture. He tried to appear frightened while keeping aware of the two shinobi who had taken up positions behind him in the greenery. If this went to hell, it was his responsibility to get Haku out of there alive. When Itachi spoke, it was with the thick accent of Water Country peasants.

"We're unarmed, sir! My sister and I are farmers, have been for generations. But our pa was killed a few days ago, and we barely escaped. We came here, hoping to find a new home where we don't have to fear for our lives. We can work – my sister sews well, and I'm a good hand with wood. You know, carpentry and such-like. We won't be a burden, and we brought all the gold our family saved up for years. Please, we'll give it all up for a home."

The second shinobi, the one who wasn't talking, looked sympathetic. He was a little older than his partner, and cleanshaven. But it was the first shinobi who responded, and his face held no inkling of sympathy for Itachi and his 'sister.'

"You say your father was killed. Who killed him?"

Itachi let more fear into his eyes, and allowed his voice to quaver. "I don't know, sir. We were in the kitchen, and we heard voices. Then Pa came in looking frighted near to death. He told us to hide in the cellar until 'they were gone.' That was the last time we saw him alive. When we came up from the cellar, he was dead and all the food we had in the kitchen was gone."

Itachi paused, and gave a realistic sob. "He... his head was chopped clean off. Why would anyone do that? They could have just taken the food, they didn't need to kill him..."

Right on cue, Haku began to cry silently. Itachi was impressed in spite of himself. The kid had an actor's ability to cry on demand, and he didn't oversell the performance either. No loud theatrics, just a deep, contained sorrow. Itachi couldn't help but think how Sasuke would have handled this little bit of subterfuge. Probably flung himself on the ground, wailing and beating the earth with his fists. Haku seemed made for infiltration, in a way that Sasuke definitely wasn't. On the other hand, Itachi had no doubt that Sasuke was better suited for the jobs that Zabuza had planned. Flashy hit-and-run battles were much more the younger Uchiha's style.

The bearded chunin was looking grave, but not suspicious. "I'm sorry for your loss. If you have the money to buy a home in the village, then you're welcome. We always have a need for skilled workers. Just respect our laws and don't make trouble, and you and your sister will do fine here."

Itachi nodded his head, fake tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Thank you so much! We can never repay you enough for this kindness."

The chunin waved his hand impatiently. "Don't thank us, we're just the gate guards. To find a house you'll need to speak with someone in the residential sector. And to work you'll need a license, which you can get at the Trade Office. Welcome to Kirigakure."

With that the doors opened slowly, and Itachi and Haku took their first steps into the city. The shinobi jumped down to meet them. Itachi could sense the hidden watchers moving away from the city, presumably back to their posts watching the road.

"Before you find lodging," the first chunin began, "please come with us to fill out a report. The Mizukage will want to send a squad to investigate your farm. With any luck, the hunter nin will be able to figure out who murdered your father."

Itachi shook the chunin's hand gratefully, making sure to use only a fraction of his strength. "Really? We would be forever grateful. Oh, if our father's killer could only be brought to justice, it would put his soul at peace. I'll tell you everything I know."

As Itachi followed the chunin away from the gate, he allowed himself to relax a little. They'd passed the first test, and Haku had been more than equal to the challenge. And as soon as the hunter nin reached Itachi's farm, events would begin to accelerate. With a little help from a contact within Gato Company, Itachi had already prepared the crime scene, so to speak. The previous owner of the farm had accepted a generous offer to move to Tea Country with his children, secure with enough money to last him for many years. Then they had artfully arranged a dead body (Sasuke and Haku had requested that the corpse belong to someone who actually deserved to die), so that it looked as if he had been violently murdered.

Hunter nin were top-notch trackers, but with the combined skill of Zabuza and Itachi it wasn't very likely that the investigation would reveal the subterfuge. So barring any unforeseen complications, Itachi had an ironclad cover story that would see him into the village. And soon, thanks to Zabuza's work in the countryside, all hell was going to break loose. From their new home inside of the village, Itachi and Haku were now in the perfect position to fan those flames.

Itachi looked surreptitiously at Haku, and allowed himself a tight smile.

_Let the games begin._

**A/N: **Hello everyone! I decided to keep Hinata's point of view for next chapter, so I could get this one up as soon as possible. Once again, sorry for the long wait. Please let me know what you thought!

Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to adamrpg, who pointed out a consistency error with the first draft of this chapter.

In the next chapter Zabuza and Sasuke are going to try and recruit some new allies, Itachi and Haku will start navigating Kiri, and Jiraiya and Hinata will be hard at work tracking down Tsunade.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I'm back at school and actively procrastinating, so hopefully the next few updates will be a little more punctual.I'm making a slight change in this arc: The Search for Tsunade plot-line will not happen for the next few chapters. Specifically, that means no more Hinata, Jiraiya, or Tsunade until next arc. I decided that there's enough action happening in Water Country that it makes for a more compact story without Hinata's point of view. That will happen in the next arc, and it will coincide with a mission featuring Naruto's team, together with some new faces.

Last but not least, this chapter is only going to be Zabuza and Sasuke, since their recruiting is going to take a little time. Next chapter will see the beginning of the revolution. It will also introduce the first major character from Kirigakure, who will figure fairly heavily for the rest of the arc. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

**Chapter 21**

A stubborn silence had grown between Sasuke and Zabuza after their confrontation the day before, and it hung between them like an old, ugly curtain that neither wanted to acknowledge. For himself, Sasuke would be damned if he broke that silence first. He had just been speaking the truth, and if Zabuza was going to keep on treating Haku like a disposable tool even when it was obvious that he actually did like Haku, then Sasuke wasn't going to go on as if they were still friends. He would follow Zabuza's orders and carry out his mission, but that was the end of it. At times Sasuke reflected on the absurdity of giving the Demon of the Bloody Mist the silent treatment, but he always ended up thinking it was worth a shot. After all, Sasuke had convinced Itachi years ago not to give up on him; maybe, if he kept at it, he could bring Zabuza around to a similar decision regarding Haku.

For now, though, Sasuke just followed Zabuza without uttering complaints or asking questions. And that last part was difficult, because Sasuke was burning with curiosity to find out where they were going. For the last two hours Zabuza had led them through increasingly dense wilderness, following some trail only visible to his eyes. Every now and again he stopped, paying attention to signs that, if they existed at all, completely eluded Sasuke, only to continue in a new direction.

Soon the land began to slope downwards, and Sasuke realized they were making their way into a valley.

"Listen up," Zabuza's voice abruptly broke the silence. Sasuke cocked his head in the older shinobi's direction, and slowed his pace to follow Zabuza's example. Zabuza kept looking forward, speaking so softly that Sasuke had to strain to hear.

"The clan we're about to meet doesn't officially exist. Their livelihood depends on the Mizukage not knowing where they live, or even that they live at all."

Sasuke scratched his head, and asked the obvious question. "How do you know about them, then?"

The ex-Kiri shinobi turned his head for a fraction of a second, long enough to send a withering glare at Sasuke. "None of your business, runt. Besides, it's not my secret to tell. The point is that, for these people, outsiders equal danger. We're here to help them, but they won't see it that way at first. In fact, they might try to kill us on sight. Be ready to defend yourself, but do not under _any_ circumstances kill one of them."

Sasuke gave an aggrieved sigh. "I'm not stupid, Zabuza. I know enough not to kill potential allies, even if they don't know they're going to become allies yet. Itachi was giving me lessons in turning enemy agents before I even knew what an enemy agent was."

That startled a short bark of laughter from Zabuza. "I'm sure he did. Nothing that tricky bastard did would surprise me. But I'll repeat the warning anyway, because it's very likely we'll soon be fighting for our lives. And it's a distinct possibility that we would lose."

The utter seriousness with which Zabuza said those last words was enough to convince Sasuke that he wasn't joking. And if this clan impressed _Zabuza_, the king of bravado himself, then maybe Sasuke should be on his guard. Just to make sure, of course. He wasn't _scared_ or anything.

"Who are they, then, and what makes them so special? What's their ability?"

Zabuza was silent for a moment, navigating the steep slope with ease. Sasuke noted that the trees were beginning to thin out, showing glimpses of sunlight up ahead.

"The story of the Kanchiki clan is long and tragic," Zabuza said at last, "although familiar to anyone who knows what it was like to live in Water Country during the Kekkei Genkai Purges. I can give you the background, but it's only an outline of the suffering that they've endured at the hands of the tyrant, Masanori. The Kanchiki clan is one of the oldest clans in Water Country. Some say _the_ oldest. They helped settle the country centuries ago, before anyone had even thought about establishing shinobi villages. And when Kirigakure was first formed, their warriors were among the most honored. Now they're just a shadow of their former selves, hiding deep underground to avoid the notice of the outside world."

The words "deep undergound" did not escape Sasuke's notice, but he refused to be distracted from the story. "What happened to them once the Purges started?"

"The Purges themselves began slowly, and not by the Mizukage at all. It was the wars that first spread the seeds of fear. Constant warfare between shinobi villages led everyone to hate and fear kekkei genkai. Genetically gifted warriors were simply too destructive. But it was Masanori who first focused that fear, and used it to solidify his own power. Clans with kekkei genkai became targeted. Some, like the Kaguya clan, tried to fight against it, first with words and then with force. The Kanchiki clan saw it coming, though. They abandoned their compound in Kirigakure, leaving behind their libraries and their graves, every record of their honorable service to the country. Then they sent an envoy to Masanori with a message that demanded he put an end to the Purges. In reply, Masanori beheaded the messenger and sent out a large force of shinobi."

Sasuke found himself drawing closer to Zabuza as they ran, even leaning forward so he could hear better. "How did they escape?"

"Many of them didn't," Zabuza replied, his tone somber. "The Kanchiki planted explosives around their entire camp, and their best scouts led the army right to it. The Mizukage lost a large chunk of his forces that day, though it was a price he was willing to pay to get rid of the Kanchiki. From the charred corpses found after the explosion, everyone believed that the Kanchiki clan was extinct. But the whole thing was a set-up. The bodies had been prepared beforehand, by Kanchiki warriors who had been Hunter-nin. The only actual Kanchiki shinobi who perished that day were the brave souls who led the Mizukage's army into the trap. The rest escaped, and have lived in hiding to this very day."

Sasuke didn't respond, lost in imagining the tragedy as it must have unfolded. He could only imagine what it had cost those few shinobi, to sacrifice themselves so that their family had a chance at life. Then he remembered the question that Zabuza hadn't answered.

"What is their bloodline ability?"

"They can sense water from far away. It's called dowsing."

Sasuke didn't even try to suppress the derisive snort that rose in reaction to that ability. "That's it? That has to be the lamest ability ever! I was expecting something powerful, like channeling lightning or stopping time."

Without looking back, Zabuza reached back and smacked Sasuke on the top of his head. "That's because you're ignorant. Not every genetic ability has to be as showy as those devil-eyes of yours. And just because the Kanchiki clan's kekkei genkai seems peaceful doesn't mean that it's not useful. In fact, recruiting some of their warriors might make the difference for our little rebellion."

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked drily. "So that when the Hunter-nin find us, we can give them directions to the nearest source of fresh water?"

"You shouldn't display your ignorance so openly," Zabuza advised, "it makes you look even more stupid. For your information, we need their help so that Masanori's Hunters _can't _find us. The Kanchiki clan senses the presence of water, but they also sense whenever water is being manipulated with chakra. A Hunter-nin using a water jutsu is like an explosion to them; they can sense it from miles away. They'll be able to help us avoid patrols and even get us away from anyone pursuing us. I've heard the most accomplished of the Kanchiki scouts can detect a human or animal presence simply from the water in our bodies."

Sasuke began to revise his opinion, and feel slightly ashamed of his earlier skepticism. With scouts that could avoid pursuers indefinitely, a guerilla force would be much more effective.

As he was remembering all of the close calls that could have been avoided if he and Itachi had had a proper scout, Sasuke followed Zabuza out of the last of the trees, and into a valley. There was a wispy mist that obscured visibility, but Sasuke could still see the mountains that formed the boundary on the other side of the valley. A small stream trickled through the valley, meandering left and right and growing smaller as it went.

Zabuza started following the stream, checking constantly over his shoulders and to his sides to search for any threats. Soon it became obvious what Zabuza had been referring to, when he said that the remainder of the Kanchiki clan lived 'deep undergound.' The stream led them through the valley until it was no more than a trickle, which led into a dark, cavernous entrance at the end of the valley. A mountain stretched far overhead, and Sasuke realized that this underground tunnel could be very large indeed.

"This is it," Zabuza announced, "the only entrance to the Kyungju Caverns. Rumor is they're cursed, and so no one lives near them for miles around. I don't know about the years before the Kanchiki clan moved in, but now I would be very surprised if anyone who wandered in ever wandered out."

Sasuke moved ahead of Zabuza, marching resolutely toward the opening. "I guess we'll just have to be the first."

Zabuza's hand came to rest on his shoulder, halting his forward movement. "Easy, short stuff. I love the attitude, but you'd better let me lead. I'm more likely to sense a kunai coming in the dark. You're getting better at Silent Killing, but this place is still out of your league."

While he was still angry with Zabuza, Sasuke had to admit he had a point. Reluctantly, he fell back behind Zabuza and followed the older shinobi into the mountain.

The tunnel they entered was only a little taller than Zabuza, and Sasuke dreaded having to fight in it. There was such a limited range of motion that evading any kind of trap would be next to impossible. But soon the tunnel widened, until it was the size of a small street, and the ceiling receded upward until it was far overhead. The tunnel itself sloped gently downward, leading them deeper into the bowels of the mountain. After a few hundred yards the light from the outside began to dissipate, and Sasuke and Zabuza were walking in almost total darkness.

When the last of the light disappeared, Zabuza took out a torch from his pack, and lit the head by striking a match. The light of the torch threw frantic shadows on the walls and floor of the tunnel.

"Won't that let them know we're here?" Sasuke asked, beginning to feel on edge. He was walking practically on tiptoe, poised to react instantly to any sound.

Zabuza shrugged. "They already know. Weren't you listening when I told you about their ability? Lighting a torch will hopefully signal that we aren't trying to be stealthy. For now we just carry on, and hope they come to us."

They kept walking, and soon came to a split in the tunnel. There were three possible directions, all of which kept heading down deeper into the earth. Zabuza didn't hesitate, but kept walking down the middle path.

"It doesn't matter," he said when Sasuke gave him a questioning glance. "They'll find us."

Sasuke didn't respond, but in his head he was thinking, _unless they just leave us alone, knowing that we'll get completely lost and probably die without any help._

After a half-dozen more natural forks in the road, the tunnel Zabuza had chosen opened up into a large cavern. The ground was cratered with pits and holes, and water dripped from the ceiling in numerous places. Sasuke could see at least seven different entrances to the cavern, and there were probably more that he didn't see outside of the torch's range.

"This is the place," Zabuza said with satisfaction. "We'll wait for them here." And he clapped his hands twice, creating an echo that rebounded off the high, rocky ceiling and came back to them, sounding almost twice as loud to Sasuke's ears. "They'll hear that, if they weren't already following us."

Zabuza sat down cross-legged on the stony ground and closed his eyes, looking for all the world as if he'd gone to sleep. Sasuke, on the other hand, was severely freaking out. He took up the torch and kept circling, trying to watch all of the exits and the walls around him at once.

Just when Sasuke was beginning to believe that Zabuza was making the whole thing up, the Kanchiki made their move. It started gradually, with whitish tendrils that Sasuke almost didn't notice wafting into the cavern from different directions. Within minutes, however, the tendrils had thickened and multiplied, until an opaque mist completely filled the cavern. Sasuke could still see Zabuza with the aid of his torch, but nothing else.

"Zabuza," he hissed at the older shinobi.

"Don't worry," Zabuza said, standing up abruptly. "They're just being safe. Think of it as another practice session. Except one where you could die."

"That's really reassuring, thanks," Sasuke retorted. He actually found himself relaxing a little at the familiar banter, and wondered if that had been Zabuza's intention.

At that moment, a voice came booming all around them. "Who dares defile this place with their unholy feet? Dost thou not know that it is forbidden?"

Zabuza spread his hands out wide, though for what purpose Sasuke wasn't sure. Surely the mist was too thick for anyone to see his peaceful gesture.

"Please, stop the theatrics!" Zabuza called. "We are not lost tourists or spelunkers, nor do we mean you any harm. I am Momochi Zabuza, also known as the Demon of the Bloody Mist, and I have a proposition for the Kanchiki clan."

From the suppressed gasps that Sasuke heard, he guessed that they were surrounded by no less than ten shinobi. He kept one hand near his kunai pouch, ready to spring.

The voice came again, this time without the booming effect. "Zabuza, hm? Never heard of you. But then, we don't get out much. I wonder about your intelligence, though, seeking us out here. If you know about us, you must also know that we can't let you leave."

"Not only do I hope to leave," Zabuza responded, "I hope to take you all with me! It is revenge that I offer you, and a chance at a new life. If you and your warriors will fight with me, I promise you the head of the Mizukage. It can't make up for the suffering of your clan, but perhaps it would be a good start."

"A revolutionary, eh?" To Sasuke's ears, the voice sounded supremely unimpressed. "Come to ask us to fight and die for you. But do you truly think revenge is enough to rob us of our senses? If we couldn't defeat Masanori the Murderer thirty years ago, what makes you think we would stand a chance now? And why would we want to? Even if, by some miracle, you kill the bastard, our kind would not be welcome in Water Country. We would be hated just as we were before, and even more so for killing the Mizukage."

Zabuza signaled to Sasuke to remain patient; he realized belatedly that he'd been gripping the handle of his kunai so hard that his knuckles had turned white. Zabuza turned back in the direction of the voice.

"You and I both know that the true monster in Kirigakure is the Mizukage. The people might not know that yet, but they will. Although I appear before you practically alone, with just this pipsqueak tagging along," Zabuza paused to smirk at Sasuke, "I actually have more support than you can imagine. Among my allies is the fifth-richest man in the world, who is unconditionally devoted to toppling Masanori's regime. I'm not asking you to fight and die just for revenge; I'm asking you to make a calculated decision to join the winning side. And in the process, we will liberate Water Country and ensure that all of its citizens are free to live the life they want, regardless of whether or not they have a kekkei genkai."

"And if we say no?"

Sasuke tensed, hearing the threat lying behind the question. Once again he strained his eyes, trying to guess where the first attack would come from.

"Nothing," Zabuza declared. "I swear on my life that no matter what you decide to do, no one will ever hear of your existence from me. I have sworn to destroy the Mizukage with my own two hands, even if I have to do it alone and take on the entire Kirigakure shinobi force in the process. As far as I'm concerned, you're all free to hide with your tails between your legs until the sun crumbles to dust. Just don't expect a warm welcome and a kiss on the cheek after I've done all the work."

A chorus of angry noises rose in response to Zabuza's taunt. Sasuke could have kicked him. Did he have to antagonize a group of enemies that they couldn't even see?

There came a sharp whistle, which silenced the invisible Kanchiki warriors immediately. "You're very good," the first voice observed. "You play on our pride with the skill of an expert manipulator. But I have seen much more of life than you, and I will not be driven to a rash decision by childish taunting. However, I will see you face-to-face before I decide further. Your bravery in coming this far deserves that much, even if your fate is to die here to protect our secret."

Zabuza's answer dripped with sarcasm. "Very kind of you, I'm sure."

The mist thinned rapidly, until it was no more than a transparent vapor. Sasuke rapidly scanned the cavern, counting fifteen figures in all. The voice that had been speaking to Zabuza probably belonged to the figure directly in front of them, who approached slowly. From the wrinkles lining the man's face, Sasuke guessed the man was in in his forties. He looked fit for someone his age, although long years underground had bleached his skin of much of its color and vitality. Something about the man made Sasuke respect him. It was something of the quiet air of command that Itachi wore so easily. Immediately Sasuke knew that the warriors around them would die, down to the last man or woman, if their leader asked it of them.

As he grew closer, the old man lifted a hand in acknowledgement. "So, Momochi Zabuza, you are more powerful than I assumed. That sword on your back is known to me. Kubikiribocho, the sword that drinks the blood of its enemies to make itself stronger. When I was still a shinobi of Kiri, that sword was the property of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"I was once one of the Seven Swordsmen," Zabuza responded, ignoring the sudden blasts of killing intent that radiated from the Kanchiki warriors. "I sought to kill the Mizukage, and for that I was banished. But I would not part with my sword, and now the only blood it seeks is Masanori's."

The old man's face creased in a weathered smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "A worthy goal, to be sure."

Zabuza stepped forward, and stuck out his hand brazenly. Sasuke could see their opponents were ready to spring, held back only by the confidence of their leader. "I've told you my name," Zabuza declared. "What's yours, old man?"

The Kanchiki leader laughed outright, bobbing his head up and down so that his long, silver hair flopped over his eyes. "Oh, I like you. I would hate to have to kill you myself. Luckily, there is another way." He shook Zabuza's hand, still shaking with laughter. "My name is Kensei."

Zabuza bowed his head. "I am honored to meet you. What 'way' do you mean? I promised that I wouldn't betray your secret, but if you attack me or my follower I won't hold back."

Sasuke bristled silently to be called a 'follower,' but judged that now wasn't the time to bring it up. Kensei bowed his head in return, acknowledging Zabuza's statement. "I admit that your proposal has intrigued me. You carry the sword of our enemies, yet claim you are not one of them. You could be a very powerful ally indeed, yet there remain two other distinct possibilities. One – you are lying." Sasuke tensed, as did the other warriors, bit Kensei continued unperturbed. "Two – you are weak, and look to us to provide strength that you lack. Luckily, there is a way to test both of those possibilities."

Zabuza met Kensei's gaze proudly. "What is your test? I will meet it, whatever it is."

"Deep under our feet, in the mountain's very heart, lies a great treasure. With this treasure a shinobi can gain great power. But the treasure is guarded by warriors not even the strongest among us can defeat. I know, because I have tried and failed to overcome them." Kensei held up both arms, which Sasuke noticed belatedly had vicious scars circling from his wrists to his shoulders. "It was only through luck that I escaped with my life. If you want my allegiance, then you must recover that treasure."

Sasuke watched Zabuza, unsure how the missing-nin would react. As for himself, he didn't know what to think. Was it worth the risk, to face some mysterious subterranean monsters for the allegiance of a clan that had spent the last thirty years hiding?

At last, Zabuza finished deliberating and answered Kensei. "It seems cowardly, to send us against a foe you don't wish to face yourself."

The Kanchiki warriors bristled, but settled when Kensei raised his hand. "Perhaps," the old man allowed, "but you are asking us to lay our lives on the line for you. It seems safe to assume that once you kill Masanori, if in fact you manage to do so, that you will be the next Mizukage. I won't bend the knee to anyone without proof of their superiority. And if you refuse to face this challenge, I will take it as evidence that you are either in league with Masanori, or a coward. In either case I will feel no guilt about leaving your corpse here to rot."

Zabuza lowered the cloth covering his mouth, and gave Kensei his best shark grin. "When you put it that way, Kensei my friend, how can I argue? Lead me to this treasure, and I'll get it for you. I'll even wrap it up with a little bow."

Kensei grinned back at Zabuza, and his face looked just as feral as Zabuza's in the torchlight. "I look forward to it. We shall escort you to the chamber, and await the outcome of your trial with great anticipation. A Demon they call you... I wonder if you will live up to the name."

Abruptly he turned around, and walked in the direction of one of the tunnels leading out of the cavern. Zabuza followed, gesturing Sasuke to fall in as well. Sasuke obeyed with alacrity, though he made sure to send the warriors around him his best "don't fuck with me" look.

Sasuke and Zabuza made their way deeper into the tunnels, led by Kensei and surrounded by their escort of Kanchiki shinobi. The cavalcade walked in silence broken only by the _plip-plop_ of water dripping from the ceiling.

By the time they stopped walking Sasuke had no sense of what time it was. It had been morning when they entered the cave, but here in the darkness time was meaningless. It felt as though he'd been walking underground forever, and would keep walking until the end of time. But in reality, it was no more than a few hours before Kensei stopped, holding up his hand to halt the group behind him.

"We go no farther," he declared. "The chamber is directly ahead. We will await you here. If you are not back by the time our torches burn out, we will assume the worst. I hope you are telling the truth, and that you prove strong enough to return to us."

_You and me both_, Sasuke thought wryly. "Let's do this, already."

Zabuza grinned at him. "You read my mind, brat."

The two of them continued on, soon losing sight of the group that waited behind. "Having fun yet?" Zabuza asked.

Sasuke feigned a yawn. "Are you kidding me? I'm falling asleep on my feet here. I hope we actually get to fight this time around; I'm tired of all this talking."

"That's what I like to hear. Whoa, hold up." The reason for Zabuza stopping was that the tunnel abruptly opened up, into a chamber much the same size as the one in which Kensei and his warriors had confronted them. But this chamber was studded with huge stalactites and stalagmites, jutting out savagely from the ground and the ceiling. To Sasuke, it seemed like they had stepped into the maw of some giant beast. He half expected the entire chamber to collapse in on them, as the beast chewed them up with its rocky teeth.

"Slowly," Zabuza cautioned. "If there's trouble, watch my back. We're getting out of this alive, I promise."

They walked out, carefully, peering out with the help of the torchlight. More than ever, the shadows cast by the torch looked like dancing spirits beginning some ancient ritual. Sasuke almost expected them to take physical form in front of his eyes, either to help or hinder them.

He was so entranced by the shadows that he almost the first pair of red eyes watching him from out of the darkness. When they registered, he gave an embarrassingly high-pitched squeak and jerked backwards. Zabuza was there in an instant, putting himself between Sasuke and the eyes.

After mentally slapping himself for betraying weakness, Sasuke scanned the area and got the uncomfortable feeling that for the second time in a few hours, he and Zabuza were surrounded. There were dark shapes flitting around at the corners of his vision, and flashes of red that disappeared before he had a chance to see what they were.

A voice came out of the darkness that was at once deep and sibilant. It made Sasuke's skin crawl at the same time that it made his bones vibrate. It was a powerful voice, and treacherous.

"I have never seen a warrior so young. I must conclude, then, that he is an offering. You are wise, traveler, to assuage our thirst with such a tender young cub."

Sasuke felt a multitude of eyes focus on himself, and he shivered. Zabuza drew his sword and held it out in front of his body, like a shield. "He's not on the menu tonight, whatever you are. Sorry to disappoint you. Now, can we talk about your treasure?"

A hissing arose from multiple directions, and it raised the hair on the nape of Sasuke's neck. "And who are you to dictate terms, human? You come like others before you, arrogant in your ignorance, demanding that we surrender to you what is ours. Why should we not take what we want as well?"

Before Zabuza could answer a dark shape materialized from the darkness, and swooped at Sasuke. It was going to fast for him to tell what it was, let alone dodge it. But Zabuza was there in an instant, his sword still outstretched, forcing the flying shape to veer off to one side. Sasuke transferred the torch to his left hand, and drew a kunai with his right. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and he readied himself for a fight.

Zabuza shouted into the darkness, "That's not how it's going to work! If I want him dead, I'll kill him myself. Now, can we talk face-to-face about this treasure? Or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

The voice responded from the same direction as before, telling Sasuke that it wasn't the owner of the voice that had attacked him. "Interesting. You protect your cub fiercely. This bodes well for you, but it raises the question of why, if you wished to keep him safe, you would bring him here in the first place."

"He's not my cub-"

"I'm not his cub-"

Sasuke and Zabuza realized they were shouting at the same time, and broke off to glare at each other. They stopped when they noticed motion in their peripheral vision. A solitary shape began to form from the darkness, and moved into the range of Sasuke's torch. In spite of himself, Sasuke's jaw dropped.

The owner of the menacing voice was a giant bat, fully a head taller than Zabuza. It walked somewhat awkwardly, but Sasuke had only to remember the speed with which the earlier attack had come to know that this opponent was not one to take lightly. Behind the first bat came a dozen more, all larger than Sasuke yet not quite so tall as their leader.

Even in the poor light of the torch, Sasuke could see the wicked fangs glinting in the bats' mouths, and the deadly gleam of their blood-red eyes.

"It has been many years since we have seen a human from outside the mountain. The Kanchiki tend to keep away visitors. You've piqued my curiosity, so I'll allow you to see my face."

Zabuza sheathed his sword, though he stayed crouched in a ready position. Sasuke thought that Zabuza must have been as surprised as he had been, but the older shinobi played it off well. To look at Zabuza, one might think he ran into nests of giant, talking vampire bats every other day.

"And a lovely face it is. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk about how we might go about obtaining a certain treasure of yours."

The bat spread his wings wide, and shrugged in a manner that Sasuke could only describe as amused. He didn't know how he knew, but something about the bat's body language was very expressive.

"Straight to the point, eh? Efficient, no-nonsense; you have a warrior's sensibility. However, unlike our smaller cousins, we are not mindless beasts. And our culture is based on a long tradition of mutual respect, one part of which states that it is polite to introduce oneself before making demands."

The bat's tone was calm, even genteel, but Sasuke could hear the threat lying dormant underneath. Apparently Zabuza could too, because he bowed his head in slight apology. "Please forgive me, I did not mean to offend. My name is Momochi Zabuza, known to many as the Demon of the Hidden Mist. This is my companion, Sasuke."

The bat bowed back gravely, and folded his wings around his body like a shroud. In the background, the other vampire bats bowed slightly as well.

"I am Lord Sevaroth, the chieftain of our clan. Will you declare your goodwill in the manner of my kind, by offering your blood to nourish and sustain us?"

Sasuke blinked. Had the bat just asked them to give up their blood? Zabuza was just as taken aback.

"You want our blood? Screw that! Just try it, and my sword will drink yours!"

Lord Sevaroth laughed gently, as if at a child. "I fear you have misunderstood me. I am not threatening you; among my kind, offering blood is a sign of mutual trust, signifying the participants' peaceful intentions. It is entirely harmless – believe me, if I had wanted to kill you, I would not resort to trickery."

From one of the bats behind Lord Sevaroth came another hissing exclamation. "Perhaps he is scared of the sight of his own blood."

In an instant Zabuza drew his sword and pointed it at the bat who had spoken. "Want to say that again, bat-boy?"

"Peace," Lord Sevaroth said, raising his voice slightly. "Customs always seem strange to those unfamiliar with them. Nevertheless, Demon of the Mist, that is our custom, and if you wish to be treated as a guest it is one you must observe."

"Fine," Zabuza growled. "But if I bare my neck for you, you'll do the same. Kubikiribocho will take one drop of your blood for every one you take from me."

Sevaroth smiled, which looked to Sasuke more like a display of his fangs. "You see," the bat chieftain laughed, "already you become more like us. Approach, warriors, and be welcome to our warren."

Sasuke was beginning to think he was dreaming, or perhaps caught in one of Itachi's nastier genjutsus. He'd left the outside world where things made sense, and descended into a nightmarish world of darkness where vampire bats wanted to taste his blood. The only thing keeping him from lashing out and making a run for it was the knowledge that Zabuza wasn't quitting, and the determination to show at least as much confidence as the older shinobi. Besides, Sasuke reflected, he knew exactly how Haku would have reacted to this situation. He would have smiled sadly as he walked into the jaws of Hell, and apologized to the demons for having to kick their asses. So Sasuke gathered his courage, and followed Zabuza up to Lord Sevaroth.

When Zabuza was standing directly in front of Sevaroth, the bat chieftain bent his head toward the other shinobi's neck. His teeth gleamed terribly in the dim torchlight. Sasuke could see the veins standing out in Zabuza's neck, as the Demon of the Bloody Mist fought against every instinct of self-preservation he possessed. Then, delicately, the vampire bat's fangs pierced Zabuza's skin, and drew two drops of blood. Lord Sevaroth straightened, and Zabuza relaxed – but only slightly.

"We can tell much about someone from their blood," Lord Sevaroth remarked in an off-hand tone. "Yours marks you as, if you'll pardon the pun, a hot-blooded man. There is much anger in you, and pain, though that's buried deeper down. What about you, cub?"

With butterflies tearing his stomach into pieces, Sasuke approached the vampire bat. Lord Sevaroth bent his head, while Sasuke tried to maintain eye contact for as long as possible. Sevaroth must have broken the skin, but Sasuke didn't feel a thing. There must have been some enzyme or paralytic that deadened sensation. It made Sasuke shiver involuntarily. These creatures could kill someone without their victim noticing a thing. He could only hope that they weren't very attached to their "treasure," whatever it was.

When Lord Sevaroth spoke, his deep voice sounded surprised. "A warrior's spirit as well. And anger, boiling deep down under the surface, like the fire at the heart of a volcano. Fascinating."

Sasuke tried to push away his fear, and glared as fiercely as he could. Zabuza pushed Sasuke away, and leveled his sword at Lord Sevaroth. "Now it's your turn."

"As it should be." The vampire bat cocked his head to one side, his red eyes twinkling expectantly. Zabuza brought his sword to his neck, and made the smallest of cuts. When he sheathed his sword, Sasuke had to suppress a sigh of relief. Maybe they would get out of this alive after all.

"If we've covered the formalities," Zabuza said, "can we talk about the treasure? I don't want it, but in order to accomplish my goals I need to deliver it to the Kanchiki clan."

Lord Sevaroth sighed. "I know what they are after, and it can hardly be called a treasure. It can be yours, but only if you deserve it. The Elder must deem you worthy."

_Another test? _Sasuke thought incredulously. This was getting ridiculous.

Zabuza made a show of looking around. "Well, where is this Elder? I haven't got all day, you know."

From deeper within the cavern, a reedy voice called out, "Silence, young whippersnapper! Patience is a virtue to be cultivated."

Sasuke had to choke back a snort of laughter at hearing Zabuza referred to as a "young whippersnapper." Zabuza shot Sasuke a warning glance, and turned in the direction of the Elder's voice.

"The Elder, I'm guessing? So what's this test of yours?"

A small bat, barely reaching up to Sasuke's knee, came hopping up toward the assembled group. As he grew closer, Sasuke could see that the elder's fur was pure silver, and he had what looked like a scruffy white beard, which looked absolutely absurd on a bat. He carried a cane gripped in one knobby claw, but moved quite spryly.

"Nothing too arduous," the Elder responded. "In fact, you've undergone it once already. I will sample your blood, and that will tell me if you are worthy. Blood always tells, you know."

"But your chieftain just did that!" Zabuza objected. "Shouldn't he know if I'm worthy or not?"

The Elder only laughed, and hopped fluidly from the ground to Zabuza's shoulder. "My grandson is a dull-witted bully, better suited for butting his head against a stone wall than blood-reading. This is a subtle and ancient art. Sevvie can tell if you mean us harm, and whether you're angry or sad. I can see into your very soul. Come, little 'Demon,' let us see who you truly are."

Sasuke saw Lord Sevaroth wince at being called 'Sevvie," but the bat chieftain said nothing. Sasuke also noticed that Zabuza didn't even go so far as to suggest that the Elder offer blood in return, as he had with Lord Sevaroth. The silver bat bent his head, and made a second set of tiny cuts in Zabuza's neck. Sasuke waited, realizing that he was even holding his breath.

"Hmm." the Elder mused. "Tell me... what goal is it that you pursue so single-mindedly?"

"Revenging myself upon the Third Mizukage, and taking his position as my own."

The Elder sighed deeply. "Ah, revenge. Let me give you some advice, which you will, I'm sure, proceed to ignore. Blood nourishes my kind. It makes us strong, and yet we feed without killing our hosts. But sometimes one of our clan grows to like the taste of blood too much. They are not content with what they need to survive, and begin to gorge themselves. Such bats kill themselves as surely as their hosts. Do not gorge yourself on revenge, little Demon; you will not savor the outcome, once the taste begins to lose its sweetness."

Zabuza was silent. The Elder sighed once again, and hopped down from Zabuza's shoulder. Turning to Sevaroth, he said, "He is worthy. Young, and stupid, assuredly, but he has potential."

"Very well," the bat chieftain answered. "Momochi Zabuza, I entrust you with my clan's most valued possession, and the highest honor we have to give: the summoning contract for our clan, the ninja vampire bats. If you choose to accept this gift, you may summon us whenever you have need. We will come to your aid, and fight in your battles. Along with this contract comes great responsibility, for you will also have the right to share our contract with any warriors that _you_ deem worthy. What do you say?"

For the first time that Sasuke could remember, Momochi Zabuza was struck speechless. Finally, he managed to force out a reply.

"I... I would be honored."

"Very well." Lord Sevaroth unfurled his wings and waved one claw in a summoning gesture. A scroll appeared before Zabuza in a puff of smoke, followed shortly after by a writing brush. "Sign your name in blood to seal our pact, and it is done."

Zabuza made a shallow cut across his palm with a kunai, and scrawled his name across the unfurled contract. With a sharp _crack_ and second smoke cloud, the contract disappeared.

Lord Sevaroth nodded with satisfaction. "In truth, this is a good thing. Many of my warriors have not been to battle in quite some time. They long for a decent fight, and I have no doubts that you can provide one for us. Until next we meet, Demon of the Bloody Mists. May your enemies flee before you."

Followed by the Elder and his retinue, the vampire bat chieftain turned and disappeared into the deeper recesses of the cavern.

Zabuza turned to Sasuke, and the dumbfounded expression on his face was almost comical.

"Could you pinch me?" Sasuke asked. "I just want to make sure that that wasn't a dream."

Without a word, Zabuza pinched Sasuke's left arm. Then he pinched his own, after which a slow smile spread across his face. "Well, I'm pretty sure this wasn't a dream. But soon, it's going to become the Mizukage's nightmare."

Sasuke grinned in return, imagining Lord Sevaroth in action, scattering the bodies of enemy shinobi across the battlefield. "I think you're right."

Zabuza turned and began to walk towards the tunnel they'd entered through. "Come on, runt. We've got a clan to recruit."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait, everyone! I hope there is enough here to satisfy for a while. There's a few new characters in this chapter, and a plot twist that is extremely non-canon. If you have any questions send me a review, and I'll definitely get back to you.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 22**

Yoshida Kohei was very proud of himself. At thirteen years of age he was the youngest shinobi Iwagakure had promoted to chunin in quite some time. His skill at medical ninjutsu had assured his rise through the ranks, and coupled with his affinity for Earth-style jutsu even the strictest of Iwa's jonin admitted that he was a valuable addition to any team. And now here he was, barely a month after his promotion, on a dangerous escort mission all the way to the mysterious Kirigakure.

However, so far the mission hadn't been nearly as interesting as he'd thought it would be. After an uneventful trip overseas, Kohei and his fellow Iwa shinobi had met with a delegation of Kiri shinobi at the port. That had been slightly tense, as the shinobi proceeded to stare each other down – politely, of course. They'd unpacked the goods from the shipment that Iwa had sent, and packed everything into several covered wagons that the Kiri shinobi had provided. After that they began traveling, and Kohei realized that being the youngest chunin on this mission wasn't actually as glamorous as he'd thought.

Being the junior team member out of twelve shinobi meant that he pulled all of the dirtiest jobs. He cleaned the dishes and dug privies, and generally did whatever other menial tasks his superiors could think of. Of course, Kohei would never complain; military discipline was not a joke in Iwa, where even the slightest sign of disrespect was met with harsh punishment. Still, in the privacy of his own mind Kohei called his older teammates and his jonin sensei some nasty names, and it made him feel slightly better.

Even the thrill of working within a stone's throw of an equal number of Kiri shinobi eventually lost some of its edge. After days without any incident, Kohei realized that to all of the other shinobi this was just a routine shipment. It wasn't friendly, but neither was it charged with tension like a stand-off would be. The other shinobi were all experiencing the exact same emotion that Kohei was: boredom.

This was essentially Kohei's state of mind until nightfall of the fourth day on the road, when the caravan was almost halfway to the village. That was when everything went to hell.

Kohei was driving the first of the two wagons, while an Iwa shinobi drove the second. Kohei wondered if his counterpart was also the youngest, but couldn't tell because of the masks that all of the Kiri shinobi were wearing. Kohei was no stranger to combat, but those blank masks were creepy. You always felt like the Kiri shinobi were watching you, no matter where they were actually looking.

Eleven Iwa shinobi were clustered around the first wagon, while seven Kiri shinobi were arrayed in a loose circle around the second wagon. One Kiri squad was on patrol, scouting around and ahead of the caravan, since they knew the area and they didn't want the Iwa shinobi moving around on their own.

The caravan kept traveling in a straight line through the forest, until they came to a bend in the road. In the distance, Kohei spied a solitary figure wearing a cape with a hood pulled low, covering his eyes.

"Ware stranger," he called out, pitching his voice low, yet loud enough to alert every shinobi protecting the wagons.

In an instant all twenty shinobi were on full alert, surrounding the entire caravan with weapons drawn. Kohei's jonin sensei, Takedo, moved cautiously ahead of the group, keeping a respectful distance from the Kiri jonin who was technically in charge of the shipment. Kohei began to get a bad feeling, owing to the fact that the team of scouts hadn't alerted them about this man. Maybe they had dismissed him as non-threatening? After all, it was impossible that the scouts just hadn't seen him… wasn't it?

The man's stance worried Kohei; it was too casual, almost serene. No one should look that unconcerned with twenty elite shinobi bearing down on him.

"Who goes there?" the Kiri jonin called out. His voice was the only sound in the forest, and it sounded strangely small and tinny, distorted by his mask.

Without warning, the stranger began to laugh. The sound sent shivers down Kohei's spine. It was harsh and rough, the kind of laugh that spoke less of mirth and more of violence temporarily held in check. It was the laugh of a predator. When he spoke, his low voice only strengthened Kohei's initial impression that here was a dangerous man.

"Is that you, Makoto? You must have pissed off the old bastard somehow, if he's got you guarding supplies like some common sellsword."

The Kiri jonin visibly flinched, though his mask hid his expression. "Blessed Kami," he swore, "it can't be…"

"That's right," the hooded stranger said, "you remember me, don't you? After all, it hasn't been _that_ many years since we were fighting for the same side."

Kohei was feeling more and more confused. It was like listening to a story that was already half over, and struggling to catch up but without any place to start. But whoever this man was, he clearly had an effect on the Kiri jonin, so Kohei would treat him as an extremely dangerous threat.

When Makoto spoke again, he had regained control of his emotions and his voice was completely level, even formal. "Momochi Zabuza, you are guilty of treason against Kirigakure. Surrender now, and you will at least receive a hearing before the Mizukage and the Council."

At this all the shinobi, whether from Iwa or Kiri, edged forward, weapons at the ready. Kohei put down the reins and prepared for a battle. His adrenaline was already pumping, and in spite of himself he was getting excited. A battle with a mysterious outlaw was much more in line with what he'd imagined for his first mission as a chunin. This would make an _excellent_ story for his former genin teammates. He just wished he knew who exactly this Zabuza was. The name sounded sort of familiar, but he couldn't place it. He would have known if he had studied the Bingo Book of notorious shinobi from other countries, but that wasn't required until you were a jonin, so Kohei had never bothered. He was regretting that fiercely now.

"You think you can bring me in?" the hooded man scoffed. "You and what army? Those cowering little mice behind you? I can smell their fear from all the way over here."

"Give up, Zabuza!" Makoto yelled. "You're outnumbered twenty to one."

"Really?" Zabuza threw back his hood, revealing his face to the group of shinobi. "Are you sure about that? Because your scouts are dead, and I certainly didn't kill them myself."

Makoto spat a curse and threw a kunai with an exploding tag at Zabuza, who didn't even attempt to dodge. Kohei was just thinking that he _had_ to move, or else the fight would be over too quickly, when the tag exploded. For a second, Kohei thought that the force of the explosion had liquefied Zabuza. Then he realized that the liquid he'd turned into was water – the whole time, they had been conversing with a Water clone.

Kohei turned his head rapidly, trying to figure out where the attack was coming from. With a sinking feeling, he saw thick tendrils of mist reaching out and spreading from the surrounding trees. It was a technique that the entire group had been thoroughly briefed on before departing for Water Country: the Hidden Mist jutsu, favored by the strongest of Kirigakure assassins.

"Alpha formation!" shouted Takedo, Kohei's sensei. The Iwa shinobi immediately formed a tight circle next to the wagon, facing outward. Almost as soon as they stopped moving the mist enveloped them completely, erasing all visibility. Kohei couldn't even see his teammates to his left and right, though he could hear their heavy breathing.

"Lift that mist, Makoto!" Takedo yelled a second later.

The voice of the Kiri jonin echoed throughout the mist in response. "We're trying, but there's too much chakra maintaining it! They must have at least five-" his voice stopped midsentence, replaced by an inhuman shriek that made Kohei clap his hands to his ears.

_What in the name of all that's holy was that?_

And then, from seemingly every direction, similar piercing shrieks rang out, along with the _clang_ of metal meeting metal and the hoarse cries of terrified men. Then… silence. The terrified beating of Kohei's heart seemed to him to be louder than cannonfire. He gripped his kunai so hard that his knuckles turned white, and scanned the mist frantically. Little by little it began to dissipate, until Kohei could once again see.

The first thing he noticed was that all of his teammates were alive, still in the same outward-facing circle. The next thing he noticed was that they were the only souls left on the road. The wagons were still there, but not a single Kiri shinobi was in view.

No one spoke, everyone apparently afraid to break the terrified silence. Then the silence was shattered by the sound of the first body falling from the sky.

_THUD!_

A corpse landed in the middle of the circle, his legs and arms bent at sickening angles.

"Watch out!" Kohei yelled out, and looked up at the sky in horror. Small dots appeared, growing ever larger, until they too resolved into the shape of bodies falling. The Iwa shinobi dodged the falling corpses, ending up scattered across the width of the road. Kohei saw what was happening, but his brain refused to process the scene playing out before his eyes. Eight shinobi killed in the blink of an eye – it just wasn't possible!

Then, from out of the trees, the same cloaked figure appeared. Kohei couldn't keep a terrified whimper from escaping his lips. He knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that if this man wanted them dead, there would be no escape.

More shadowy figures emerged from the trees, until almost twenty man-sized figures flanked Zabuza. Kohei thought he saw one that was considerably smaller than the rest, almost his own size, but he was too focused on Zabuza to be sure.

"Stand down," Zabuza called out, "and you will not be harmed. My quarrel is not with you. Or if you so desire, keep fighting. My friends will be delighted to feast on your blood."

He gestured overhead, and Kohei's eyes followed to see dozens of winged shapes descending into the surrounding trees. It was too dark to see anything clearly, but Kohei could discern the gleam of multiple pairs of red eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul.

"We surrender," Takedo called out, and Kohei was amazed to hear his normally unflappable sensei sound unnerved. "I mean you no harm, and only wish to bring my men safely back to Iwa."

"Very wise of you. Depart now, and inform the Tsuchikage that he should cease all exports into Water Country for the time being. Trade is a dangerous business during a civil war."

And then the dark shapes in the trees took to the air, and the rustle of their wings unfolding sounded like death whispering in Kohei's ear. Zabuza walked away into the trees, followed by the cloaked wraiths around him. One by one, they vanished into the night.

"Listen up, men and women," Takedo announced into the heavy silence. "Our mission is now ranked S-class, and consists of one thing and one thing only: getting the hell out of this country before it blows up around us. We need to get word to the Tsuchikage that Kirigakure is at war."

Kohei breathed deeply, trying to convince his racing heart that the nightmares were gone, and the danger was over.

_Forget this!_ he thought, trying to keep from breaking down into hysterical laughter. _If this is what being a chunin is like, I'd rather be a genin forever!_

oOoOo

Itachi sat at his workbench, carefully whittling away at a small block of wood. A single lamp affixed to the desk cast a dim yellow glow, bright enough to work by but not to illuminate the corners of the room. On the bench next to Itachi was a small army of wooden figurines of all sorts; soldiers of all different ranks, samurai, and even a few tiny shinobi, complete with miniature kunai. Currently he was working on a samurai commander to round out the collection.

That was the problem with having a cover identity – if the cover identity came with a job, that job had to get done. No matter how much it cut into the time that Itachi wanted to give to spying. That was how he came to be carving wooden toys so late at night, when he could have been out discovering the village's secrets. One of the wealthiest merchants in Kirigakure had commissioned a set of figurines for his son, who liked to enact miniature battles. It was good for Itachi's cover, because it meant that his woodcarving business was passing muster. But it also meant working through the night, if he wanted to finish the order with enough time left over to do some real work.

Normally Itachi found woodcarving calming. He had learned to carve during ANBU training, because it was recommended for agents to learn at least one civilian trade. It made long-term infiltration easier if you had a set of skills that would allow you to pass as a craftsmen or professional of some kind. During stressful missions, Itachi had often found that woodcarving acted like a kind of meditation, calming his mind and focusing his thoughts. Tonight, though, the soothing repetition of carving was far from bringing Itachi tranquility.

In fact, more than once he found himself glancing anxiously over his shoulder, towards the front door that stubbornly remained closed.

_He should be back soon_, Itachi thought, until he caught himself worrying and turned resolutely back to his task. Haku would be fine. Itachi knew his capabilities, and tonight's mission was easily within those parameters. But something could always go wrong, as Itachi knew all too well. So while he painstakingly etched the details of the miniature samurai's armor with his carving knife, he remained alert for the sound of the door opening, which would signal Haku's return.

_Creak._

Itachi repressed a sigh of relief at the sound. His keen senses only detected one set of feet, which meant that Haku was coming back alone, and most likely had been successful. Itachi stood up and turned around. Zabuza's young apprentice was no longer wearing his girl disguise, but rather dark clothing and a mask exactly the same as those worn by the Hunter nin, Kiri's elite shinobi force.

"I assume everything went well?" Itachi asked.

Haku closed the door quietly and took off his mask, before nodding to Itachi. "I believe so. The rotation was the same, although I couldn't cover every district without being seen. The patrols rotate in four-hour shifts, and visit the same streets in the same order. It should be possible to pass undetected through the city at night, even as far as the Mizukage's compound."

"And you're sure that you weren't seen?"

Haku shook his head. "You told me we could never be sure. Someone may have sensed me, even though I kept my chakra dampened as you showed me. I think it unlikely, though."

"So do I," Itachi allowed. "Your skills are considerable, otherwise I wouldn't have had you do this alone. But now you've shown me that I can count on you for more difficult tasks. Well done, Haku."

The inscrutable child bowed his head, acknowledging the praise. Itachi truly was impressed. While he himself had been a full-fledged member of ANBU when he was much younger than Haku was now, it was still an accomplishment for one so young to be so gifted in the art of stealth. Of course, none of Kiri's hunter nin were part of the night patrols – Itachi had made sure of that first thing, during his first nocturnal exploration of the city. The night patrols were all chunin or lower, which was why Itachi thought that sending Haku out on his own to track their movements would be an appropriate test of his skill.

"What is our next step, sensei?" Haku asked respectfully. Itachi hid a small smile at hearing the title. He had told Haku to call him 'sensei' because he hoped to give the boy a picture of what a teacher-student relationship _could_ be like. If Haku grew accustomed to mutual respect, he might begin to demand more from his relationship with Zabuza. Such an outcome could only improve the well-being of both.

"The next step is mine alone," Itachi responded. He had grown adept enough at reading Haku's face that he saw the signs of disappointment there, even though the boy controlled his expressions almost as well as Itachi himself. "I regret not being able to include you, but infiltrating the Mizukage's compound might be too much for you at this stage in your development."

Itachi paused, but Haku remained stone-faced. Itachi sighed, abandoning his efforts to provoke the signs of curiosity from the boy. Where Sasuke would have jumped on such a hint and demanded to be told what Itachi was doing, Haku just waited for orders. It was a pleasant change, yet at the same time slightly exasperating.

"In the market today, I heard some very interesting rumors."

Itachi went to Kirigakure's central market every day to sell his wares, along with the blankets and clothes that Haku sewed. He had his own stall, strategically situated near several of the busiest inns so that he could see who was going in or out. During his lunch break he would go to one or other of the inns and strike up conversations, trying to glean useful information out of the flood of gossip. That day he had met a traveling tinker, who brought his wares through every corner of Water Country. The man had told a very interesting story, which was already spreading like wildfire throughout the shops and houses of the village.

"You already know about the tales of rebels in the countryside," Itachi began, "since we spread many of them, with the help of some of Gato's wealth and connections, before we even entered the village. But today I met a tinker who told me about a missing trade caravan from Iwagakure. It was a large shipment of food, weapons, and explosive tags, guarded by six full shinobi teams, three from Iwa and three from Kiri. Apparently this caravan ran afoul of the infamous Momochi Zabuza himself, at the head of a group of rebels. He only left the Iwa shinobi alive, telling them to get out of the country if they didn't want to be caught up in a civil war. The three Iwa teams ran into the tinker on their way back to the border, and the tinker then came straight to Kirigakure to avoid getting robbed by bloodthirsty rebels."

The gleam in Haku's eyes eloquently conveyed his reaction to the news. "So it begins."

"It does indeed," Itachi answered. "According to the tinker, who got his report from the Iwa shinobi, the Kiri teams guarding the caravan were slaughtered by 'monstrous creatures that came from the sky.' As much as I hate to admit it, I _am_ a little curious."

It sounded like Zabuza was being even more subtle than Itachi would have given him credit for. Whatever these 'monstrous creatures' were, they had managed to scare the Iwa shinobi. With any luck, after they reported back to the Tsuchikage he would decide to keep his forces far away from Water Country until the struggle was over. Itachi guessed the creatures were some kind of hoax, although Zabuza must have been very skillful to fool jonin-level shinobi.

"In any case," Itachi continued, pushing aside the question of how Zabuza had arranged his little show, "this is the first major attack we've heard about, and it's one that the Mizukage can't ignore. He will have to be seen to respond decisively, or it will reflect badly on him. And it's my job to find out exactly how he's going to respond. So I'm going to infiltrate the compound to try and find any documents that might give us a clue."

Haku hesitated, looking torn. After a second he met Itachi's eyes, and spoke up tentatively. "My apologies, sensei, but isn't that… extremely risky?"

"Of course," Itachi answered. "But this is what I was trained to do."

He didn't tell Haku that he had never actually infiltrated a Kage's compound before. There was no point in making the boy worry, after all.

oOoOo

The village was quiet that night. Clouds veiled the moon, and everyone with any sense was fast asleep. Squads of chunin and genin patrolled the street, but they did so without any sense that danger might actually be lurking in the dark. The rumors that were spreading did tell of danger, that was true, but surely such danger could never reach inside the village's walls.

That was the assumption that kept them feeling safe, even as they passed the night hours combing the streets for criminals and spies. And even though Itachi passed within a stone's throw of at least five patrols on his way to the Mizukage's compound, not a soul sensed him or the threat he represented. For that night, at least, they could sleep comfortably, protected by the strength of their ignorance.

For Itachi, this self-appointed mission was bringing back a slew of distant memories. Infiltration and information retrieval were his two specialties, if you discounted assassination. He might almost have been back in ANBU, although instead of his teammates waiting for him he had only Haku.

The Mizukage's compound towered over the rest of the buildings in the village, looking like some hulking behemoth in the distance. Itachi ghosted from rooftop to rooftop, his black outfit melding seamlessly with the night. He periodically checked the wooden talisman that he had carved earlier that day, and imbued with a chakra seal known only to ANBU agents. The seal acted as a chakra-dampener, permitting small, controlled uses of chakra such as the steady trickle necessary for sticking to vertical surfaces, while negating the chakra signature so that more experienced shinobi wouldn't be able to detect his presence from the residual traces of chakra usage. It made him safe from all but the most powerful of sensor-type shinobi.

Of course, the seal didn't do anything to prevent other types of detection, and if, for example, the Mizukage had any guards with the sensory abilities of the Inuzuka clan, Itachi would be caught before he even got inside. But the Mizukage did despise kekkei genkai, so that risk was minimal. As for any other potential traps, well… Itachi would just have to avoid them when he found them.

When he reached the main building of the Mizukag'e compound, Itachi circled to the back of the giant, cylindrical building, giving the guards at the door a wide berth. After checking to make sure he couldn't sense anyone in the immediate vicinity, he moved silently and stealthily to the wall, and began to climb. He kept his body as close as possible to the bricks, anchoring himself with trickles of chakra from his hands, feet, and torso.

He climbed upwards, barely distinguishable from the wall in the darkness. Itachi intended to enter through a window near the top of the Tower, and then work his way downward until he found something. The Mizukage's study or office would work best; if he was anything like the Third Hokage, Masanori would keep important papers on a desk or in a drawer.

Itachi left a lot of space between himself and the windows, until he found himself nearing the top floor. He then aimed for the nearest window, only to hear with dismay the sound of voices talking from the room within. Itachi was about to climb downward in search of another window, when for a second the wordless murmur became clear, and he heard the word, "Mizukage-sama."

Itachi froze, unable to believe his luck. Masanori, the Third Mizukage himself, was in the room just above! Itachi was in the perfect position to eavesdrop, and he intended to. If the Mizukage was discussing affairs of state, then Zabuza's attack had to be pretty high up on the list. Moreover, since it was so late at night, the discussion must be about affairs too pressing to wait until morning the next day – barring any international disasters, Zabuza's attach was the most likely topic of discussion. As luck would have it, then, Itachi could learn what he needed to learn without even stepping inside the compound.

He inched closer to the window and pumped a little chakra through his ears. It intensified the vibrations of sound waves hitting his inner ear, making it possible to hear sounds that would normally have been inaudible.

From the voices that he heard, Itachi determined that there were three people in the room, two men and one woman. One of the men was speaking, his voice a dry, rasping sound that made Itachi think of sandpaper, or the skin of a shark.

"…Mizukage-same, our course is clear. We must eradicate Zabuza before he sows any more fear in our ranks. He spits in your face in front of the entire world, and leaves survivors to spread the tale. This cannot be allowed, not if you are to maintain your authority."

The second male voice answered, and Itachi committed the sound to memory. This was Masanori, the man they had come to this country to kill. The most powerful shinobi in Water Country.

"Clearly, Kisame. But the real question is _how_ we deal with him. This is not the same Zabuza that I humiliated years ago. This Zabuza is cold, calculating… even subtle. It may even be that he's not the one behind this rebellion. After all, the rumors began even before the first recorded act of rebellion. Someone else might be pulling the strings, dangling Zabuza to make us react to the obvious threat."

Itachi could have chuckled, hearing himself described as a puppet master pulling Zabuza's strings. He would have to share that with the ex-Kiri nin next time they met, and grin sardonically when Zabuza swore angrily that he was no one's puppet. That would drive the Demon of the Bloody Mist absolutely insane.

It was also clear that the room held Kiri's top players; even not counting the Mizukage, Kisame was a notoriously powerful shinobi described in the Bingo Book as near Kage-level strength.

The woman spoke next, allowing Itachi to hear her words clearly for the first time. The voice was rich and sultry, yet with a hardness that lay dormant underneath; like silk-covered steel, or a calm ocean hiding an iceberg inches below the surface.

"Whether Zabuza is the leader of this rebellion or not is not what's important here. What matters is ending his rebellion before it causes too much damage. Already we're feeling the effects - our shinobi will be fine without the weapons, but some of that food was meant for the poor. What happens if our shipments keep disappearing? The next one could be medicine for the hospitals, or something equally as disastrous."

"I think you exaggerate the danger, Lady Mei," Kisame's voice replied. Itachi made a mental note to remember that name - she must be powerful, if Kisame addressed her so respectfully. "Zabuza and his followers are merely parasites. They do not seriously threaten our economy or general prosperity. It is only in terms of the Mizukage's reputation as a powerful leader that he poses a threat."

Mei's voice, when she responded, was sickly-sweet and deadly. "I beg to differ, Kisame. Of course I do not have your experience in such matters, but don't you think it's possible you may have overlooked something? For instance, the fact that our economy is almost entirely agrarian? A band of rebels tearing up the countryside will scare farmers away from their farms. If Zabuza isn't captured quickly, Kirigakure will be flooded by refugees, all of whom will need to be fed. And the food they need won't be coming from our farms, not if the farmers are the ones fleeing."

Kisame started to respond, but Masanori's querulous voice cut him off. "A wave of refugees…" he mused. "That would not bode well. Hundreds of people, any of whom could be a spy for the rebels. No, it will not do. That must be prevented at any cost."

_Too late_, Itachi thought dryly. _The spies are already here._

"Very wise, Mizukage-sama," Kisame said. "And then, if I may, there is also the question of how the other Hidden Villages will respond to our little… situation. The last thing we need is for the power-hungry Uchiha or the Tsuchikage to see the presence of a rebellion and take advantage of our seeming weakness. Should we activate the Mistring?"

_What is a Mistring? _Itachi was starting to get a bad feeling.

"Are you insane?" Mei's shocked voice rang out, before she regained control of herself and spoke more quietly. "Kisame, honey, are you sure you're thinking clearly? That's a last resort to be taken only in times of war. If we activated it, it would be our own people who suffered!"

"Your tender heart is touched by the thought of causing anyone suffering," Kisame said slyly, "which is to your credit. But in times like these, some sacrifices must be made. The security of our village is more important than the lives of a few fishermen."

Mei's tone lost its flirtatious veneer in an instant, and became a snarl. "I can think of one person whose suffering wouldn't affect my '_tender' _heart! Watch your step, Kisame, or soon I'll be wearing a new pair of sharkskin boots."

"Calm yourselves, both of you," Masanori cut in. "Please, daughter, restrain yourself. Kisame is only trying to protect our village. It is true the Mistring is a last resort, but if Zabuza isn't brought to justice soon, it may be necessary. We have survived this long by keeping to ourselves, and the other Hidden Villages will not hesitate to act if they perceive any weakness."

Itachi almost nodded as one more piece of the puzzle fell into place. _Daughter_. That was interesting, and certainly not something that had been in the Bingo Book. Of course, not much had ever been known about Kirigakure, but something as important as the Mizukage having children should definitely have been known to ANBU, at least. Itachi would have to adjust his plans to account for this development. At the same time, he would need to figure out what this mysterious "Mistring" might be. It sounded like some kind of weapon, and it had to be potent if its backlash would cause civilian casualties. This was all information that Itachi would need to possess before he could warn Zabuza.

"I understand, Father," Mei said, her voice tight with determination. "But we must do everything within our power to make sure it does _not_ become necessary. I ask your permission to lead a task force of jonin and Hunter nin into the countryside in search of Zabuza. We will kill him before he has a chance to fan the flames of rebellion."

Masanori took a moment to respond, and when he did, his tone was thoughtful. "Hmm… That would serve admirably, provided you're able to take care of things quickly. Yes, I think that is the best course of action. Assemble your men as you see fit, but return within two weeks if you fail to find Zabuza. And Mei, I trust you will carry out this mission with… discretion?"

"Of course, Father," Mei answered instantly. "I'm not an impetuous child any more. I can control myself."

"Very well, then. This has been a long day, and I grow tired. Kisame, Mei, you're dismissed."

Itachi began inching his way downward, mulling over what he'd heard. Something about that last exchange between Mei and Masanori piqued his interest, but he couldn't think what it was. And he had a much more immediate task, which was to figure out what the Mizukage's secret weapon was, and how to defend against it.

Itachi hoped Zabuza had been able to link up with the dowsers, as had been his original plan. Because for the next two weeks, Mei was going to be tearing across the countryside at the head of the strongest shinobi Kiri could muster. It would be better if Zabuza could just avoid her, and just hold out for two weeks.

In two weeks' time, Itachi would know everything he needed to know.

oOoOo

Back in her quarters, Tserumi Mei found it impossible to fall asleep. There was so much at stake, that she could not afford to fail, could not even think about the possibility of failure. Her father, the Third Mizukage, was not a man to value his subjects' lives above his sense of security. And that conniving shark Kisame wasn't helping the situation. If she couldn't find Zabuza, her father would activate the Mistring. And then the death toll would start to rise.

If Mei wanted to keep the people of Kirigakure safe, she needed to annihilate Zabuza before he made her father any more uneasy. And to do that she would need to find him as quickly as possible. Mei made a mental note to bring along the best trackers and sensor-type shinobi, even though they weren't necessarily the strongest fighters. Mei herself would be more than enough to tip the balance, even without using the abilities that she and her father kept hidden.

The Tserumi clan's dual kekkei genkai was a secret, though most of the upper echelon of Kirigakure's ninja forces knew about it. They respected Masanori's power, and kept their mouths shut. Mei had been raised with strict orders never to reveal her abilities unless it was a matter of life and death; however, she was skilled enough that she had rarely had to use her special abilities. In a fight against Momochi Zabuza, however, that might turn out to be necessary.

In spite of everything that was at stake, Mei was almost looking forward to the confrontation. She had many memories of Zabuza from before he was banished. He had been hot-headed and proud of his skills, well beyond the point of arrogance. Mei had often wanted to take him down a peg or two, but her father had forbidden it, saying that she shouldn't be so quick to show off the extent of her own abilities. Mei had consented, albeit resentfully. Looking back, Mei realized that when she was younger she had been almost as hot-headed as Zabuza.

But now, years later, the opportunity to see who was stronger had fallen into her lap. And this time the fight wasn't irresponsible; on the contrary, killing Zabuza was the greatest duty she could perform for her village. With that thought, Mei tried to push all thoughts of the future far away, and concentrate instead on falling asleep.

Tomorrow, the real work would begin.

**A/N: **That's it for this chapter! What did you think?

Next time Mei starts the hunt for Zabuza, Itachi tries to discover more about the Mistring, and Sandstorm runs afoul of the Iwa shinobi fleeing for the border. Comments and questions are hugely appreciated!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **It's been awhile since anyone's had a proper fight in this story; hopefully, this chapter will make up for it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 23**

Shikamaru was utterly and completely bored. It wasn't enough that his team had drawn the short straw for chores around the camp that morning; no, they also had to check the snares they had set up. It meant half an hour of trekking through the barren countryside surrounding Sandstorm's camp, in the hope that their snares would hold some unlucky creatures for their cooking pot. But it seemed that the animals in Water Country were smarter than their counterparts in the Suna desert, because so far they hadn't had any luck at all. Not a single solitary rabbit.

Instead, Asuma had put his team to gathering herbs and berries, which meant that what began as an hour-long chore quickly turned into a task taking up the entire afternoon. And Shikamaru, who had been planning to do some serious napping that day, was not happy. He was almost as unhappy as Choji, who had practically burst into tears when he saw the empty snares. The hungry Akimichi claimed that he needed a certain amount of meat every day, in order to fight at top form.

But there was nothing he could do about it, and so Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji had set to work gathering a makeshift dinner under the watchful eye of their sensei. Shikamaru's face set in a permanent scowl, and he counted the seconds until they could end this troublesome chore and get back to base. He saved a special curse for Asuma, who was leaning casually against a tree while smoking a cigarette, arms folded, a quiet smile tugging at the corners of his mouth – in short, the picture of serene repose. Shikamaru wanted to punch him – or he would have, if it wasn't far too much effort just to get back at a sensei abusing his power.

Asuma's eyes fell on Shikamaru, and the last remaining Sarutobi smirked. "Hurry up, there Shikamaru, you're looking a little sl-" he broke off mid-sentence, head snapping up to focus off in the distance.

Shikamaru and his teammates tensed, dropping their baskets and shooting to their feet.

"What is it, sensei?"

Asuma effectively answered Shikamaru's question by drawing his trench knives from their holsters. "Lots of people, coming this way fast. Really fast. They must be shinobi."

Asuma switched on his microphone and spoke into it rapidly. "Team Two to base. Multiple shinobi approaching, purpose unknown. They've definitely sensed us already. We're by the snares, southwest of the camp, and we need back-up _now!_"

There was a crackle of static, then Kakashi's voice came over the small speaker, calm and reassuring. "If possible, do not engage. If they attack, fall back in the direction of the river, directly north of your position. We're coming as fast as we can – five minutes tops."

Five minutes wasn't much time normally, but in a battle against superior numbers it was practically an eternity. Shikamaru's brain sprang into action, desperately formulating ways to stall for time.

None of the genin wasted any time asking for more information. They formed a loose triangle behind Asuma, took their Sandstorm masks out of their packs, and donned the blank masks purposefully. Asuma formed the Ram seal with his hands and muttered, "_Shadow Clone Jutsu_." Two copies puffed into existence, and broke off to either side, where they took up positions behind large pine trees. Shikamaru nodded, realizing that Asuma was setting the stage for a distraction. He would be ready.

Shikamaru spared a second to glance at the terrain. It was flat for the most part, with sparse vegetation and large patches of bare earth. A few trees grew here and there, like the ones Asuma's clones were hiding behind, but not enough to provide decent cover for all of them. And it was much too late to begin looking for a better defensive position. In the distance Shikamaru saw a dust cloud kicking up, and it got rapidly closer until it resolved into twelve shinobi wearing Iwagakure uniforms.

Nine wore identical flak jackets with Iwa insignia, while the remaining three each had a unique outfit. From what Shikamaru had seen from shinobi in Suna, that meant that these three were jonin, while the others were most likely chunin. For Shikamaru's purposes, that really only meant one thing.

_We're in deep shit._

Asuma stepped forward, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture. The Iwa shinobi came to a stop thirty yards from Shikamaru's team, the dust from their landing rising in a huge cloud that settled gently around them.

"We're not looking for trouble," Asuma said, his voice muffled by the mask. "We're just here to gather food – we'll be on our way immediately."

_Not looking for trouble,_ Shikamaru thought,_ at least until Kakashi, Baki, and the rest get here. Twelve on twelve, with Gaara on our side – we win that fight, no doubt._

Shikamaru noticed a few of the chunin glance at one of the shinobi in the center of the formation. He was wearing a sleeveless muscle shirt that stretched across bulging muscles, and wore his hitai-ite wrapped around his left arm. He was the leader, Shikamaru deduced, but he completely ignored Asuma's statement.

Suddenly, he spoke in a deep, bass rumble.

"Those masks aren't the one the Hunters wear. These must be rebels, though their leader isn't here. This is our chance to bring prisoners back to the Tsuchikage, so he can hear about this rebellion first-hand."

Shikamaru's ears perked up at the word 'rebels,' because that sounded like exactly the kind of civil unrest that Sandstorm was here to discover. Then his spirit sank a little when the Iwa leader said 'prisoners.'

_This is going to be troublesome._

Then the Iwa jonin put the seal on Shikamaru's sense of impending trouble. "Get them," he called out. "Leave one alive."

Just like that, everything spiraled out of control.

"Now!" Asuma yelled, and sent a brace of kunai with exploding tags at the Iwa shinobi. At the same time, his clones jumped out from behind their trees, and sent their own exploding tags racing towards their attackers from both sides.

The three jonin reacted instantly, rapidly forming handseals and muttering words that Shikamaru couldn't make out. Walls of rock rose out of the ground on all three sides, directly in the path of the incoming barrages of kunai. Shikamaru had been waiting for their defensive measures, and sent his shadow forward, faster than he had ever managed before. The hail of kunai hit the rock walls at roughly the same time, creating a chain detonation that rang out with a deafening roar, and more importantly, created a smoke cloud that blocked visibility for a second.

Shikamaru took advantage of that second to split his shadow into twelve prongs, that he then sent through the smoke in search of his targets. Twelve was not his limit for shadow possession, though it was close. He wouldn't be able to immobilize so many for very long, of course, perhaps only a few seconds. He didn't have to hold them for long, though; if he managed to capture them even for a second, it would be enough for his teammates to even the odds.

The smoke cleared, revealing three rock walls that had been severely reduced by the explosions, and behind them twelve Iwa shinobi. Of those twelve, six were anchored to the ground by shadowy prongs, while six had jumped clear. "Kagemane complete," Shikamaru said, though his teammates already knew. Six was decent – better than decent, actually, provided they managed to get rid of them quickly.

Shikamaru began to run forward so that his captives would mirror his movements, and thus be closer to the shuriken that his three teammates were about to throw. But the six free Iwa shinobi, three of whom were the jonin captains, had other plans. Lightning-fast hand seals sent the earth around the trapped shinobi surging up around their legs, and anchored them fast. Shikamaru himself stopped as though he'd run into a brick wall; since shadow possession worked both ways, he wasn't able to move any more than his captives. The strength of the rock keeping them in place was too much for Shikamaru to fight. His teammates' shuriken came within feet of their helpless targets, but another rock wall rose up in front of the six captives before the shuriken could hit their marks. Most of the shuriken clanged into the rock and bounced off, but two did not. Those two shuriken began to glow with a blue light, and cut straight through the rock as if it was butter. Shikamaru smiled tightly in appreciation of Asuma's strategy – just like in his first fight with Baki, he had transformed his trench knives to look like two shuriken.

A high-pitched scream from behind the rock wall testified to the effectiveness of the technique.

_One down,_ Shikamaru thought with satisfaction.

Shikamaru decided to keep his shadow possession going for a little while, in the hopes that Asuma would be able to get a few more before the jonin attacked and made him stop the technique. Out of the corner of his eye Shikamaru saw Choji swell up in a ball, his arms and legs retracting to be replaced by jets of chakra. That was excellent – one good pass from the Akimichi's Meatball Tank would crush the remaining captives like extremely fragile pins in a deadly bowling alley. And while a shield of rock might be enough to stop exploding tags and shuriken, Shikamaru knew it wouldn't be able to stand up to the sheer force and momentum of Choji's signature technique.

However, before Choji could complete his technique and begin bearing down on the Iwa shinobi, a shout rang out from the leader of the Iwa force. "Aim for the shadow-user!"

_Uh-oh,_ Shikamaru thought. Suddenly keeping his shadow possession active didn't seem like all that good an idea. The rock wall melted into the earth, revealing a barrage of kunai attached to exploding tags, all aimed directly at Shikamaru. Asuma would have moved to intercept them, but two of the Iwa jonin shimmered out of existence, only to reappear directly between Shikamaru and his sensei. Asuma engaged them with kunai, fighting defensively while summoning his trench knives to come to his defense.

Choji broke his Meatball Tank jutsu in an effort to help Shikamaru, but Shikamaru waved him off. He didn't want to risk his friend getting caught in the blast radius, even though Choji was more resilient than most elephants when he activated his Multi-Size jutsu.

Instead, Shikamaru broke his shadow possession jutsu, and used substitution to avoid the kunai. He reappeared to the right, directly behind Ino and Choji. The Iwa shinobi he'd captured, now freed from his shadow, jumped backwards to join their teammates. The expressions on their faces could only be described as murderous.

One of the chunin had been gored by both of Asuma's trench knives, and once freed from the restraining shadow he slumped face-first into the dirt. Blood leaked through his flak jacket and around his hands, which were pressed to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

Shikamaru shook his head regretfully. His shadow possession worked best with the element of surprise, and now that was gone. What made it worse was that they had only managed to take down one enemy. Now the real fight would begin, and Shikamaru had no illusions about how it was going to go. No strategy he could concoct at the moment would be able to offset worse than two-to-one odds.

"Asuma," he called out to his sensei, who was busy warding off the relentless attacks of two Iwa jonin. "Fall back!"

Asuma nodded, his face frozen in a rictus of cold concentration. His two trench knives came speeding toward him, forcing his opponents to jump back to avoid them, which gave him some much-needed breathing room. He used the Body Flicker jutsu, and reappeared next to Shikamaru. "Retreat at half speed. Ino, Choji, keep them off our flanks. Shikamaru, try to slow them down with your shadow. The others will reach us soon."

_They'd better, _Shikamaru thought. Because if they didn't, Shikamaru and his teammates were done for.

The Iwa jonin pointed at Shikamaru and Choji, and gestured to the others. "From their techniques, those two are from powerful clans in Konoha. But there aren't any more Naras except for one. We're bringing them back with us, men - the Tsuchikage will definitely want the lost clan heirs of Konoha."

Shikamaru sighed. Now their identities were more or less known, there was no way this fight was going to end peacefully. Even if the Iwa shinobi wanted to stop fighting, Sandstorm couldn't allow them to escape with the knowledge of their location, which might get back to Konoha. But then, worrying about anonymity when you were outnumbered more than two-to-one was a waste of time. Shikamaru readied himself for a tense fight.

What followed was the most nerve-wracking experience Shikamaru and his team had ever been through. They retreated one long, chakra-fueled jump at a time, then turned to make sure the Iwa shinobi in pursuit couldn't approach too closely.

Some of the chunin tried to run around them in a flanking maneuver, but Ino and Choji's well-aimed explosive kunai kept driving them back to the main group. Asuma stayed in front of his three genin, warding off the majority of the seemingly endless hail of kunai and shuriken that the Iwa shinobi were throwing. His trench knives swirled around and in front of him like miniature, flying guard dogs, and did more than Asuma himself to keep their attackers from charging them too quickly. Every now and again the knives would swoop towards a single opponent, forcing them to retreat quickly. But they couldn't pursue any of the enemy too relentlessly for fear that the others would overwhelm Asuma.

In fact, Asuma and his knives probably would have been overwhelmed fairly quickly anyway, if it hadn't been for Shikamaru's shadow. After recovering from each backwards jump, the young Nara turned and sent his questing shadow out to support Asuma. He controlled his shadow like he never had before, creating swooping tendrils and quick, darting spikes that aimed for any of the Iwa shinobi that approached too quickly. The ground in front of Asuma's team writhed with a seething darkness that dared anyone to enter into its grip; it looked like nothing so much as a two-dimensional hydra, seeking its prey with an unerring hunger.

One of the chunin, growing impatient at the game of cat-and-mouse that Shikamaru and Asuma were playing while retreating, moved forward a little too boldly. One of the shadow tendrils whipped around and anchored his shadow. Just for an instant, but it was enough. One of Asuma's trench knives darted out, too quickly for any of the jonin to attempt to block with an Earth-style jutsu. The chunin didn't even have time to scream before the trench knife tore through his neck, sending a spray of crimson blood into the air.

_Two down,_ Shikamaru noted. But the Iwa shinobi were crafty, and not likely to fall for that again. They were even warier while approaching, and paired off in teams of two so that they could watch each other's backs and keep from getting caught by either Shikamaru's shadow or Asuma's quick counter-attacks.

The deafening percussion of explosions from Ino and Choji began to grow more sporadic, showing that they were beginning to run low on kunai with explosive tags. Once they ran out, there was nothing to stop the shinobi from flanking them, and that would be the beginning of the end.

Shikamaru was distracted from that thought by the more immediate threat in front of him. Two chunin, together with a bald jonin with bandages on his arms, stepped forward and began a short series of seals. They melted into the ground, and became a dangerous looking ripple that tore straight ahead underground.

"Choji!" Shikamaru yelled. Of them all, Choji was the only one with the chakra reserves to use large-scale Earth-style jutsus.

"Got it!" the Akimichi yelled. "Jump!"

Shikamaru and Asuma didn't question, and launched themselves high in the air. They saw Choji step up, his arms growing rapidly to a hundred times their normal size. His enormous hands formed a solitary hand seal, and then Choji bellowed, "_Earth-Shattering Hammer!_"

His hands clasped together, high overhead, and he brought them down with all the force he possessed, directly in front of the approaching subterranean trio. Shikamaru could almost see the shock wave that Choji's attack generated. It blasted a crater into the ground and ripped forward, churning earth into the air, like a torpedo sending up a wave of earth instead of water. The three Iwa shinobi were sent flying backwards at least twenty feet, landing in a heap behind their teammates. To Shikamaru's disappointment, they seemed unharmed, only looking a little shaky as they regained their feet. But there was no time to dwell on disappointment. The other jonin would doubtless have capitalized on their teammates' distraction…

Sure enough, there were only eight shinobi in front of him. The two jonin were missing.

"Asuma, right flank!" Shikamaru shouted. That was where the attack would come from, and the target would be Asuma. Once Asuma was defeated, the three genin wouldn't last much longer - that's what Shikamaru would have done if he had been attacking, and he knew the enemy jonin would think the same way.

The two jonin reappeared from the right, just as Shikamaru predicted, and charged Asuma in tandem. Asuma blocked a strike from the muscular leader, and tried a quick stab with his kunai.

To Shikamaru's astonishment, the man didn't even try to block. The kunai stabbed deep into the jonin's chest, but instead of blood, out poured - mud. "It's a clone!" Shikamaru tried to shout, but it was too late. The two shinobi dissolved into a thick mud laced with a brownish-orange chakra, which flowed around Asuma's hands and trapped them.

The real enemies rose from the ground, and charged at the disarmed Asuma.

Asuma gave a yell and pumped chakra through his hands, which glowed blue. The light emanated outward, becoming wind chakra scalpels that destroyed the mud from within. But the Iwa jonin had already closed the distance, and Asuma didn't have time to escape. He turned one kunai by knocking the leader's arm out of the way, but he couldn't evade the lunge by the other jonin. The Iwa jonin let out a barbaric yell, and drove his kunai deep into Asuma's stomach. Asuma's cry of pain was mirrored by Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, who almost couldn't believe their eyes. Shikamaru felt cold seep through his veins, and noted analytically that he was probably going into shock.

But Asuma wasn't yet finished. He grabbed onto his assailant with one hand, and pulled him in close while performing a set of seals one-handed. Then he exhaled, and a small cloud of ash spewed from his mouth to envelope the other shinobi.

Shikamaru started forward, recognizing the technique and desperately hoping he could get there before -

It was too late. Asuma ignited the tiny flint against his teeth, and ignited the cloud of ash. It exploded with considerably less force than a detonation tag, but it was enough. The jonin who'd stabbed Asuma was covered from his torso upwards by the smoke. The explosion obliterated the upper half of his body, and sent the lower half flying away. The leader had retreated before Asuma ignited the ash, and so escaped unscathed. But Asuma…

The ash cloud ignited at point-blank range, barely a foot away from him. If the cloud had been any bigger, the explosion would have killed Asuma as well. As it was, the force of the explosion catapulted him backwards towards his three genin, who were watching in horror. His face and arms were covered with horrific burns, and blood stubbornly continued to flow from his stab wound.

The good news, thought Shikamaru, was that his sensei was unconscious, so he couldn't feel the agony that must be coursing through his body. The bad news was that their running away was over. There was no way they were leaving their sensei alone at the mercy of these Iwa butchers.

"Protect Asuma," Shikamaru shouted, but he needn't have bothered. Ino and Choji were already moving to put themselves around their fallen sensei. Both were panting hard, their masks streaked with the ash from the earth kicked up by stray explosive tags. Their eyes were barely visible through the narrow slits in the masks, but the determination shining there never wavered.

Ino knelt down next to Asuma, covering his stomach with her hands. They began to glow green, and she pumped chakra into the wound to keep her sensei from bleeding out.

Shikamaru watched as all nine remaining Iwa shinobi spread out in a wide circle, completely enveloping the genin. His heart sank. They were outnumbered and almost out of chakra. There was only one card left in his hand, and it was a desperate resort that had no chance of taking out all of their opponents. He felt terrible asking Choji to give more of himself, but the members of the last surviving Ino-Shika-Cho trio had decided long ago that if they had to fall, they would go out together.

Shikamaru turned to Choji, who cut him off before he could speak. "I know, Shikamaru. It's our only chance."

Shikamaru wished he could tell Choji something reassuring, something to express how much his teammate meant to him, but he couldn't. Choji knew this would likely end with his death, and he didn't even blink. Shikamaru put his arm on Choji's shoulder, trying to communicate wordlessly what he didn't have time to say. "Give these bastards hell."

Choji nodded fiercely, and from his belt pouch he took out an innocent-looking red pill. He lifted his Sandstorm mask briefly, long enough to swallow the pill in a single gulp.

Shikamaru had seen the Akimichi soldier pills in action before, though not often. They converted the body's stored energy into chakra, sacrificing bodily health for temporary power. Choji had learned how to make them from the scrolls that Jiraiya had brought to Suna, and the Kazekage had asked Choji to demonstrate the power that they granted a true Akimichi. After eating one of the pills Choji had spent two days unconscious, under almost constant care from Granny Chiyo. But before he had fallen unconscious, he'd managed to knock Baki on his ass.

One of the chunin approaching Shikamaru's team stopped to laugh. "He takes a break for a food pill _now?_ No wonder he's so fat."

The only answer to the chunin's comment was the torrent of chakra that burst from Choji's body. Shikamaru could see his friend's clothing begin to bunch up, as the body underneath it began to sacrifice itself to produce more power, growing steadily more emaciated. The chakra solidified into two wings, each just as large as Choji himself. The raw force that Choji was exuding made Shikamaru smile sadly. This was the true power of the Akimichi; a power that sacrificed oneself for the protection of others. Shikamaru thought no one could be as selfless or noble as his friend. A single tear rolled down his cheek, as he watched the chakra that was literally eating Choji alive.

The terrifying monster that Choji had become pointed one finger at the Iwa chunin who'd thought his soldier pill was a food pill. "You die first."

He brought his hands up and formed a unique set of seals. He inhaled deeply, and then pushed the air out violently. Deadly bullets of chakra expelled from his mouth, shooting faster than any kunai toward the hapless chunin. He was literally torn apart by the incandescent projectiles, his body decimated and scattered in every direction. Choji rose higher into the air, hovering over Asuma's body like some guardian angel, and began to spin. The chakra bullets sprayed in every direction, forcing the approaching Iwa shinobi back and away. They threw up wall after wall of rock and mud, which crumbled before Choji's technique like tissue paper in a hailstorm.

But there were simply too many directions for Choji to concentrate his fire, and the jonin coordinated the chunin into a revolving pattern of movement. They evaded the majority of the attacks, while constantly throwing up more shields to absorb the damage.

In the end, it was just a matter of time. Choji's power was bought with his energy, and that energy had a limit. The bullets slowed and then stopped entirely, and the chakra pouring from Choji's body receded. The glowing wings faded, and he fell unconscious to the ground. Shikamaru was there to catch him, and his eyes burned with unshed tears at the sight of his friend's emaciated body.

Ino stood up and terminated her medical jutsu, her breath coming in ragged bursts. "I'm all out of chakra," she gasped. "He's still dying - I could only stop the bleeding temporarily."

"You did all you could," Shikamaru said. "We all did." He put Choji down gently, next to Asuma, and set himself for the next attack. He knew it would be the last one. His constant use of shadow possession had drained him entirely of chakra - from the fire raging through his veins, he knew he was well past the onset of chakra exhaustion. The only thing keeping him on his feet was adrenaline, and his determination that no one would get near his precious friends.

But it wouldn't be enough. Eight Iwa shinobi approached, determined to avenge their fallen comrades. And Shikamaru said a silent goodbye - to his teammates, to his friends, and to his lost village. He would never be able to liberate Konoha now…

The chakra exhaustion seemed to be affecting his mind in strange ways - as if setting his nerve endings on fire wasn't enough, now he was beginning to hear a strange buzzing sound. Shikamaru wondered if that was really all that happened before one died; instead of flashbacks, or a sudden epiphany, there was only buzzing.

_Wait a second,_ Shikamaru thought, his brain feeling a little fuzzy. _If the buzzing's in my head, why are the Iwa shinobi looking around?_

For sure enough, their assailants were turning their heads, looking for something. And that, Shikamaru realized belatedly, could only mean one thing…

The buzzing grew louder and louder, until a dark cloud came into view in the distance, and grew closer. Shikamaru thought he had never been so happy to see a swarm of bugs.

oOoOo

Kakashi was seconds behind Shino's bug swarm, which he had ordered the Aburame genin to send ahead in the hopes that the appearance of a noisy new threat would give Asuma's team a little breathing room. Kakashi just prayed that they were not too late. The rest of Sandstorm raced at his heels; except for Baki, who matched Kakashi step for step.

It was clear when they found the site of the battle. Explosions had carved sizeable craters in the earth, and everywhere rocky spikes or walls of earth jutted upward. The next moment the Iwa shinobi came into view, arrayed in a circular formation around…

Kakashi's breath caught, as he saw his long-time friend and ally motionless on the ground. His heart almost stopped when he thought Asuma and Choji were dead, but a second later his chakra-enhanced vision convinced him that both were still breathing. That was when the fear began to abate, only to be replaced by white-hot rage. Whoever these Iwa shinobi were, they had made a grave mistake in attacking his friends. Kakashi was not about to lose anyone he cared about. Not again.

The Iwa shinobi didn't express any disappointment at the sudden appearance of reinforcements - instead, they just got back into formation, between the newcomers and Asuma's team.

Kakashi's first priority was protecting Asuma and his genin. That meant getting Sakura past the obstacle posed by the enemy. Luckily, Gaara had a way of getting around obstacles.

"Gaara, Sakura," Kakashi snapped in a voice of command. "Get to Asuma's team. Sakura, do what you can to get them on their feet. Gaara, you make sure they're safe while Sakura heals them. Use _that_ technique."

The two genin nodded, raising their voices in unison. "Understood."

Kakashi looked sideways at Baki, who awaited Kakashi's direction calmly. He knew that only one person should be in charge in a combat situation, and Kakashi was the right choice.

"I see two jonin," Kakashi said. "If we take them, that leaves six chunin for Temari, Kankuro, Shino, and Kiba. Are they up for it?"

Baki didn't even hesitate. "Yes. Besides, Gaara will watch the battle with his Third Eye. If it looks like they need help, he can drop his Ultimate Defense and lend a hand."

"Perfect. Sandstorm, listen up." They continued to watch the enemy, but listened carefully to Kakashi's direction.

"Gaara, get Sakura over to Asuma and defend them. That's when we attack. Shino, your bugs need to separate the jonin from the chunin. Baki and I will take the jonin, and the rest are your responsibility. Temari, you give the orders. Gaara is there for reinforcements if you need it."

Kiba bared his teeth, which were already elongating to look like fangs. "Oh, we won't need any help. This is for Asuma-sensei!"

Kakashi felt exactly the same. "Now!" he shouted.

Gaara ran straight ahead, with Sakura directly behind him. He sent the sand from his gourd shooting forward in a column as thick as the trunk of a giant tree, which caused the Iwa shinobi to scatter. Sakura deflected the thrown projectiles that managed to get by Gaara's sand, using kunai to knock away senbon and shuriken. In a flash they managed to cross the distance to Asuma and his team, using the space created by the attacking sand. Sakura didn't waste a second, but knelt down next to Asuma and Choji. Gaara clapped his hands together and summoned his sand back around him, where it swirled in a tight circle.

The sand expanded until it blocked Asuma's team from view. It swirled continuously until it solidified into a giant cocoon of sand, one that wrapped completely around the six shinobi inside. Gaara's shield of sand was one of his strongest defensive jutsu, and the only one that encased a given area on all sides. Unless these Iwa shinobi were packing S-rank explosive force, nothing was getting through that shield.

The rest of Sandstorm had jumped into action at the same that Gaara and Sakura did. Shino sent out his bugs in a giant mass, separating one of the jonin from the rest of the chunin. Kakashi and Baki advanced on the jonin, assuming that the other jonin-level opponent wouldn't let his teammate get double-teamed without trying to help. Sure enough, the second jonin used an Earth-style jutsu to tunnel under Shino's bugs. He rose next to the first jonin, and they squared off against Kakashi and Baki.

_Perfect, _Kakashi thought. _Now to drive them away from the genin._

Kakashi gestured to Baki surreptitiously, communicating his desire that they move the fight as far as possible away from their genin, and the sand cocoon that currently enclosed Asuma's recovering team. Baki nodded tightly.

Without a word they charged the pair of Iwa jonin, and the fight began.

oOoOo

Temari was no stranger to anger. She routinely got mad at her brother, Kankuro, who never missed an opportunity to be an ass. She also got pissed off whenever ignorant people questioned her strength as a shinobi because she was a girl. What with one thing or another, barely a day went by when Temari didn't get angry at someone or something. As such, she thought she was fairly familiar with her anger, since they were frequent acquaintances.

Her anger ran hot, like an eruption of lava. It clouded her thinking and sent strength flowing through her. She became like a bar of molten metal, superheated and dangerous. But now, for the first time, Temari realized that anger could be cold, too.

When Temari saw Shikamaru standing over his sensei and his teammate, defending them against the Iwa shinobi with nothing but a kunai, even though he was barely standing - something snapped inside of the kunoichi.

Rage flooded through her, but it was ice rather than lava. She felt herself growing calm and focused, with the cold, hard implacability of a diamond. Her mind crystallized and focused on a single resolution: someone was going to die.

Temari held to that thought while Gaara enclosed Asuma's team with his protective technique, and when Kakashi and Baki drew the Iwa jonin away from the rest of the group. She stared across the battlefield at the six Iwa chunin, who were about to find out just what it meant to provoke the daughter of the Kazekage.

One of the Iwa chunin, a tall, lanky male wearing a head protector over his hitai-ite, stepped forward to taunt Temari and her teammates. "Only four of you? You might as well give up now!"

Temari snorted contemptuously. "Oh, it's numbers you're worried about? We can fix that. Kankuro, Kiba, you're up!"

The Iwa shinobi charged, trying to bring the fight to close quarters before Kankuro and Kiba had a chance to complete whatever technique they were starting. But Temari drew her fan and unfolded it completely, sending a blast of wind tearing across the battlefield. It caught the shinobi unawares, and sent them flying backward.

Kiba gave Temari a thumbs up, and then motioned Akamaru forward. "You heard the boss, Akamaru!" He tossed the white hound a small pill, which Akamaru caught and swallowed in one motion. There was a _pop_ and a puff of smoke, and then two Kibas stood side-by-side, their fangs and claws elongating.

Kankuro yanked the bandages on his arm, unraveling all of the wrappings covering the puppet on his back. Crow soared into the air, followed a second later by Black Ant, which Kankuro summoned from a storage scroll. With a twitch of his fingers he brought both puppets in front of him, poised for action.

Temari closed her fan and leaned on it, watching the chunin pick themselves up after recovering from her whirlwind. "Was it numbers you wanted? From my count, it's now seven on six. And that's not counting the thousands of carnivorous bugs that will soon be snacking on your corpses."

Shino nodded slightly, glad that Temari had not overlooked his bugs in her count. He was sensitive like that.

The lanky Iwa chunin didn't bother responding, but instead sent spears of rock flying through the air at Temari and her teammates. She sent them flying again with a burst of wind, and motioned her teammates forward.

"Kiba," Temari shouted. "Let's use it – the Deathcloud!"

Kiba (or Akamaru, Temari couldn't tell which was which) nodded, and gave a feral snarl. Both Kiba and Akamaru became twin blurs, shooting off in opposite directions in a wide circle around the Iwa shinobi. They threw small smoke bombs at the ground near their opponents' feet, which spewed forth thick purple smoke that quickly rose well above head height.

This was the first step of the Deathcloud, a combination attack that Shikamaru had designed years ago for trapping a large group of shinobi. The next step was to make anyone caught in the smoke curse the day their parents ever set eyes on each other.

Shino gestured toward the cloud, sending a swarm of insects forward in a ring around the smoke cloud. Anyone who tried to fight their way out would come face-to-face with a multitude of winged fiends hell-bent on draining their chakra.

Meanwhile, Kankuro, Kiba and Akamaru were now setting the second step in motion. Kankuro twitched his fingers, and his two puppets split into their component parts. Crow's arms and legs detached and replaced fingers and toes with stiletto blades, while Black Ant's limbs opened secret compartments to reveal deadly serrated blades. Every blade glistened with poison specially mixed by Grandma Chiyo, which was deadly within minutes of contact. Kankuro flung out his arms, and the puppets' blades went flying indiscriminately through the cloud.

Kiba and Akamaru, unlike Kankuro, did not have to aim blindly. With their superior sense of smell, they knew exactly where their targets were, even though they were obscured by smoke. They dashed in and out of the cloud like whirling dervishes, not staying within the cloud long enough to engage the Iwa shinobi, but leaving numerous injuries in their wake. They didn't even have to be careful to avoid the poisonous barrage of bladed weapons, because Chiyo had spent a long time ensuring that every member of Sandstorm was immune to her signature poisons.

From within the cloud echoed the clash of steel against steel, and shouts of pain as Kankuro's puppets found a target. But then, abruptly, there was only silence within the cloud. Temari knew it was too soon for all of them to be dead from poison, so she called Kiba and Akamaru back to the group.

"Fall back!"

The Inuzuka and his hound obeyed, coming to rest immediately between their teammates and the cloud, which was now beginning to disperse.

Kankuro summoned his puppets' limbs, and counted the blades that had any blood on them. "Only two," he said, disappointed. "They're definitely still alive, and the two I hit will be able to fight for another few minutes."

"I can't sense them anymore," Kiba called out, his harsh voice beginning to sound a little worried. Shino spoke up, his voice calm and collected.

"They must have gone underground. They're from Iwa, it stands to reason they would have Earth-style jutsu capable of tunneling or melding with the earth."

Temari grinned. "That's right, Shino, and it's what I was waiting for. Kiba, show those bastards that they can't hide from us. Just get them aboveground, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Got it." Kiba gulped down another food pill and tossed one to Akamaru, who was still in his beast-clone form. The two jumped high in the air, and began spinning so fast they blurred into drill-like forms that diffused pure chakra into the air around them.

"_Gatsuga!_" Kiba and Akamaru tore into the earth with unstoppable force, carving long, sloping tunnels into the earth before bursting out again into the open air. They wove across the battlefield, first covering the area around their teammates and then expanding outward, in search of the Iwa shinobi underground. They found them directly underneath the spot where the smoke cloud was, though the cloud itself had disappeared. Before Kiba reached that spot, six figures rose up through the earth and launched themselves into the air, barely avoiding a painful death from Kiba's technique.

They were in the air, which was exactly where Temari wanted them. She bit her thumb and wiped a drop of blood on her fan, and then swung it viciously, pouring her chakra into her most powerful attack. "_Summoning: Quick Beheading Dance!_"

A tempest roared from her fan, and for an instant a weasel carrying a giant sickle was visible in front of her. But then it disappeared, moving too quickly for the eye to follow. The roaring wind caught the Iwa shinobi and lifted them even higher, tumbling them head over heels and leaving cuts and scrapes from the razor-sharp wind currents. There was a series of bright flashes, as if the sun was glinting off of a sharp object. Then the gale died out, and the Iwa shinobi fell to the ground. A second later, their severed heads followed.

Kamatari came to a stop before Temari, seeming to wink into existence magically. The one-eyed weasel leaned casually on his sickle, and gave her a careless salute. The sight of a weasel saluting might have been humorous, if it hadn't been for the red sheen of blood coating the sickle's blade. Temari bowed respectfully to the weasel, who then disappeared with a _pop_.

Kankuro walked over to one of the headless Iwa shinobi, and nudged the corpse with one foot. He whistled, and turned to Temari with admiration in his eyes. "Remind me not to tease you so much anymore."

Temari didn't answer, her attention already riveted on Gaara's sand cocoon, where Asuma's team was hopefully recovering quickly. Then she looked in the direction where Kakashi and Baki had gone. She hoped their senseis would finish their battle soon, before any more shinobi sensed the uproar and came to investigate.

oOoOo

Kakashi sprang away from the Iwa jonin he was fighting, pausing to catch a breath. While he was fully recovered from the torture he'd suffered at the hands of Itachi Fugaku, a shinobi did not easily regain stamina or chakra reserves after four years of imprisonment. His skill had diminished as well, a fact which Kakashi cursed bitterly. If he had been in his prime, defeating this upstart Iwa jonin wouldn't have taken more than a minute.

"I recognize you from the Bingo Book," Kakashi's opponent said. "Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Nin. I thought you were dead."

"So did a lot of people," Kakashi answered. "But they were wrong."

"I see the rumors about your power were greatly exaggerated. I thought you were a master of all four elements, and could imitate any technique within seconds of it being performed."

"I lost that ability long ago. But it won't make any difference." Kakashi charged in close once again, determined to bring the fight to the Iwa jonin. They dueled with kunai for a hectic minute, parrying and slashing with skill and speed only attained by years of training, their motions barely visible to an untrained eye. Then Kakashi began to feel the effects of his opponent's genjutsu take hold.

His opponent was a genjutsu specialist, as Kakashi had learned to his dismay as soon as they began trading blows. The Iwa jonin's favorite technique was a genjutsu that made Kakashi perceive time in slow-motion - he saw every strike a split-second too late, and reacted to things that had already happened. Kakashi already had two deep gashes along his arms that testified to the technique's effectiveness. Never had Kakashi regretted the loss of his sharingan so deeply: if he'd had his dojutsu, it would have been child's play to see through the illusion and make this bastard pay.

Instead, Kakashi had to periodically disrupt his chakra in order to keep the genjutsu from affecting his senses. His opponent capitalized on those moments, because without his chakra Kakashi was slower and more vulnerable to physical attacks.

Kakashi realized he had to bring the fight to a close soon. He was tiring quickly, and the Sandstorm genin might need help against the Iwa chunin. He had to neutralize his opponent, and quickly.

"It's only a matter of time now," his opponent taunted. "Without your ability to copy my genjutsu, sooner or later I'll gut you like a fish."

"I did lose my ability," Kakashi admitted. "But I learned some new techniques that will more than make up for its loss."

He lunged forward, bringing all his strength to bear behind his kunai strike. His opponent crossed his kunai to form an x, blocking Kakashi's one-armed strike. Then Kakashi activated his chakra strings with his free hand, and connected them to the ninja wire in his belt pouch. The ninja wire, specially made to react to chakra, fused with his chakra strings and became an extension of his will. He sent two coils of wire in front, and wrapped them tight around the Iwa jonin.

His opponent's mouth opened, but the force of the wire contracting around his midsection drove the air out of his lungs.

"See what I mean?" Kakashi said, and then dropped the kunai in his right hand. He performed a rapid series of one-handed seals, and then thrust his hand into the air. It began to glow with a white light, and seemingly from out of nowhere came the sound of birds chirping. When the crackle of lightning chakra stopped, Kakashi thrust his hand forward, his fingers held tightly together to form a blade-like shape.

"_Chidori!_"

The Iwa jonin died without a sound, the ninja wire rendering him unable to escape the assassination technique. Kakashi unwrapped the wire, using his chakra threads to coil the wire up and place it back in his pouch. He contemplated the corpse of his opponent for a second, and then turned to search out Baki.

"No matter what techniques you learn," the white-haired jonin mused, "the classics are still the best."

He had lost sight of Baki during his fight. The Suna jonin had opted to fight the leader of the Iwa shinobi, and Kakashi had realized it was probably a good idea. He wasn't fully used to his mechanical leg yet, and against a truly strong opponent it might become a liability.

To Kakashi's considerable relief, Baki appeared alone in the distance, and came rapidly closer. The inscrutable jonin only nodded when he saw the body of Kakashi's opponent.

"So you got him. Me too. Let's get back and see how the kids are doing."

Kakashi nodded silently, not asking Baki about the numerous gashes across his midsection. His fellow sensei had won, and that was all that mattered. Now they just had to make sure their kids were safe.

But as Kakashi expected, Temari and her teammates were victorious when they returned. Nothing remained on the battlefield but the corpses of their enemies, and Gaara's defensive cocoon.

"Good work," Kakashi congratulated the genin wearily. "Now let's see how our teammates fared. Gaara," he shouted, "bring it down!"

The sand receded, swirling back into the gourd on Gaara's back. To everyone's considerable relief, every member of Asuma's team was conscious, even if they weren't back on their feet. Sakura was bent over Asuma, and seemingly scolding him as he tried to get up.

Kakashi tried to fight back the joy that threatened to choke him up, as he went to greet his teammate and long-time friend.

"Oy, Asuma," he drawled, his voice as dry as he could make it. "Once again, I see you managed to sleep through a decent fight. Typical."

From flat on his back, Asuma just laughed and laughed. The gruff sound was sweeter to Kakashi's ears than anything he'd ever heard.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Rise of the Uchiha has passed the 400 review mark, so I'd just like to pause and say thanks. This story wouldn't be here without you all. With that said, it's back to business! This chapter's got a little of everything: Mei, Zabuza, Sandstorm, and Itachi. Things are starting to come together, leading up to the final battle against Masanori in a few chapters. For those of you who miss Naruto, he'll be back starring in the next arc. And for those of you who want to see more Akatsuki characters, well... all I'll say is that Naruto's mission will take him to Amegakure.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 24**

Kankuro was not the most perceptive of the three children of the Kazekage. But even he could tell that something was upsetting Temari. Ever since Sandstorm had gotten back to base, after the disastrous fight against the Iwa shinobi, she had been grouchy, irritable, and down-right pissed off.

It just didn't make sense. They had won, and Temari had performed the best out of all of them! At least, she had the highest body count. The way Kankuro saw it, that was cause to be extremely satisfied. But Temari seemed anything but satisfied.

She might have been upset about the injuries that Team Asuma had sustained. Kankuro knew as well as any of them that it had been a close thing. Asuma was still recovering from a debilitating amount of blood loss, and if he moved before it set fully the wound would tear open again.

The other three were suffering from acute chakra exhaustion, and didn't stir from their bedrolls either. But if Temari was sad for them, why was she walking around like a caged wolf, snorting and muttering angrily under her breath? She even got on Baki's nerves, and he was usually as unflappable as a rock. One afternoon, when she was pacing furiously, he told her if she couldn't sit still she could join Shino and Kiba on watch.

Finally, Kankuro couldn't take it anymore. He walked right up to Temari, ignoring her dangerous glare, and asked her flat out. "What's with you?"

The look Temari gave her brother could have fried eggs. "Nothing. Get lost."

She tried to push him away, but Kankuro wouldn't budge. "You're not getting off that easy. What's wrong? You're acting like a bear with a stick up its ass, and it's pissing everybody off."

Temari put her hand on her fan, her eyes seeming to ignite with angry flames. "_What_ did you just say?"

Kankuro flexed his fingers, ready to call on Crow. "You heard me!"

Suddenly, a thick column of sand flew in between the two siblings, and pushed them gently but insistently away from each other. Gaara followed, shaking his head sadly.

"Are you two trying to finish the job the Iwa shinobi started? Calm down, both of you."

"Listen, Gaara," Kankuro said, pushing uselessly against the sand. "I'm tired of her sulking. Just bury her in sand for a few days, all right?"

"Damn it, Kankuro," Temari snarled, "I'm going to come over there, grab your stupid puppet and shove it up your-"

"Temari," Gaara interrupted. "Please stop this. I know why you're upset. I am, too. We've never had such a close call before."

"Shut up, Gaara!" Temari said. The fact that she was so comfortable speaking out against her younger brother testified to the bond that had grown between them, after Jiraiya had fixed the seal on Shukaku. For perhaps the thousandth time, Kankuro fervently thanked Jiraiya and hoped that wherever he was, the old pervert was doing well.

"I'm not upset," Temari insisted, "I'm angry!"

Gaara waved his hands, and the sand retreated back into his gourd. "All right," he said, "why are you angry?"

"Don't try those mind games with me, Gaara! You know why I'm angry. I'm angry because those assholes over there," Temari gestured toward the bedrolls where the recovering members of Team Asuma lay, "had to try and be heroes instead of just retreating and waiting for us to get there."

Kankuro's brows rose in amazement. So it was about Team Asuma? He was surprised at how quickly Gaara had gotten it out of Temari.

Gaara looked quizzically at their sleeping teammates, his eyes lingering for a moment when he saw Sakura hard at work using medical ninjutsu to speed Asuma's recovery, and then looked back at Temari.

"They tried to retreat," he pointed out reasonably. "But they were outnumbered three to one."

"He's supposed to be a genius," Temari almost shouted. "He should have gotten them back faster!"

_Wait, what?_ Kankuro felt like this conversation was beginning to jump around too fast for him to keep track of. _Genius… is she talking about Shikamaru?_

Gaara's voice was filled with calm certainty. "He did everything he could. It's probably in large part thanks to him that none of them died. But you know that. So why are you angry?"

Temari stared at Gaara, her eyes seeming to mist a little before she sniffed. "Because…" the words came out unwillingly, as if Gaara was dragging them out by the sheer force of his will. "Because I wasn't _there_! They were fighting, dying almost, and all I could do was run, and listen to a damn microphone!"

"We felt helpless, too," Gaara reminded her. "But we did the best we could, and the end it was enough. It wasn't your fault. You have to know they won't hold this against you."

"I know that," Temari said, the reluctance clear in her voice, "it's just…"

She trailed off into silence, and after a moment Gaara responded.

"Have you thought about talking to him about it?"

Temari recoiled, her face expressing pure horror. "_Talk?_ Don't you _dare_ tell anyone what I just said, or I'll forget that you're my brother and treat you like those Iwa shinobi!"

Gaara smiled knowingly, and put his hands out before him as if to ward off an attack. "All right, all right. It was just a suggestion. But please, for all of our sakes, try to be a little more in control. The more you sulk, the less prepared you'll be if we need to defend our position. We're in hostile territory, after all."

Temari lifted her head proudly, and said, "I don't sulk." But then she smiled at her brother, and nodded to show that she would try harder. Then she walked away, leaving Gaara alone with a very confused Kankuro.

"So, let me get this straight," he said slowly. "She wasn't upset, but she was angry with Shikamaru. Then she wasn't angry with him, but with herself. Or is it both of them? Or is it everyone? Maybe it's her time of the month? Kami, girls are so _confusing_!"

Gaara smiled at his older brother, and looked for a moment much older than his thirteen years.

"She's smarter than both of us put together," Gaara said quietly. "And if she's confused about how she feels, then there's no way that we could understand. Come on, let's go check on the others."

But as they walked over to Team Asuma, Kankuro got the feeling that Gaara understood perfectly well.

oOoOo

Baki idly watched the scene unfold, trusting that Gaara would have everything well in hand. Temari's feelings towards Shikamaru were mixed up and confused, but none of the senseis doubted they would end up together. There was even a betting pool on between the three of them, whether they would end up as a couple or hold to their denial for a few more years. Baki was leaning toward the "few more years" side, because he felt that if any two kids were unlikely to share their feelings, it was Shikamaru and Temari. Also, the shinobi life had a way of interrupting romance, and both Shikamaru and Temari were dedicated to the lifestyle they had chosen.

Baki put aside such frivolous thoughts, and turned instead to surveying the camp. He was far from satisfied with Sandstorm's position, but it was the best that they could do. Asuma and his genin team were busy recovering, and would not be able to move for another few days at least.

It made Baki nervous, because all he wanted was to be away from this place. They knew that a rebellion was going on, and the last thing that any sane shinobi wanted was to be caught in a vicious struggle between Kirigakure shinobi. They were all fanatics, prone to irrational hatred and a fear of all foreigners. As the leader of a band of foreign shinobi, Baki wanted nothing more than to get the hell out and make his report to the Kazekage. But they were stuck here until Asuma could be moved without re-opening his wound.

For what was probably the hundredth time in a few days, Baki thanked Kami for Sakura. The girl was already a solid medic, not nearly as experienced as Chiyo but with a natural flair for healing that promised to bring her to the top ranks of Suna's medic nin. Not only had she stabilized Asuma and brought him back from the brink of death, she had been able to reverse the poison that was eating Choji away from the inside. And now she was pulling continuous eight-hour shifts with four-hour sleep cycles in between, in order to get her teammates on their feet as quickly as possible. The pink-haired kunoichi was worth her weight in gold, and once they got back to Suna, Baki was going to make sure that she received a commendation from the Kazekage himself.

While Sakura was trying to get Team Asuma healthy again, the rest of Sandstorm was doing their best to make sure that they didn't fall afoul of any other shinobi, whether rebels or Kiri regulars. Shino had spread his bugs in over-lapping rings around their position, sometimes as much as miles away from the camp. Kiba was scouting almost constantly, with Kakashi and Shino as his back-up should they encounter any trouble. And Gaara was employing his Third Eye as an untiring, ceaselessly vigilant scout to give them warning should anything approach from the opposite direction of Kiba's team. And Kankuro was putting his mastery of puppetry to good use, by stringing up hundreds of traps in the surrounding area. All in all, it was as defensible a position as Baki could get.

But he knew, as only a veteran with years of experience could, that no plan is ever foolproof, and no base is ever perfectly secure. So he prayed that Asuma would be on his feet soon, because every day that went by increased the risk that danger would find them.

oOoOo

Sometimes Sasuke felt like he'd been fighting with Zabuza forever. Living in holes in the ground, evading large patrols of Kiri shinobi – it was all becoming routine. Sasuke had learned that at a certain point, excitement and fear disappear, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. He would be glad to see the end of this rebellion.

In the beginning it had been exciting. Running around with Zabuza and the Kanchiki clan, gaining recruits for the rebellion and striking blows against the Mizukage. But constant running and fighting took its toll, and eventually Sasuke grew disillusioned. And when the first of his comrades died, Sasuke came face-to-face with the reality of war. He knew that some of the men and women he fought with would die, no matter how hard he tried to protect them.

It was only thanks to the abilities of the Kanchiki clan that there hadn't been more casualties. The sensor-type shinobi were unerringly accurate in their predictions, and Zabuza had been careful about avoiding any large groups of shinobi capable of wielding water-style jutsu. But Sasuke knew that sooner or later, the rebellion would have to come out of hiding and stand toe-to-toe with Kiri's best. On that day, the rebels that he had come to know would suffer.

Sasuke sighed, but kept his pace up. Zabuza would yell at him if he fell behind. They were supposed to reach the safety of the mountains before dark, where no Kiri patrol would venture without vastly superior numbers.

There was a sharp, stabbing pain in his shoulder. Sasuke cursed, and craned his neck to look at his left shoulder. A small bat was anchored there, his beady red eyes on a level with Sasuke's own.

"Damn it, Sev!" Sasuke swore. "That hurts! If you want me to carry you, you'd better keep those claws to yourself!"

The little bat chuckled, a high-pitched sound that was full of amusement. Sevaron, or as he liked to be called, Sev, was Sasuke's companion from the Vampire Bat clan. He was Lord Sevaroth's son, although he had a ways to go before he would be as large or imposing as his father. Sasuke had been overjoyed when Zabuza had asked if he wanted to sign a contract with the bats, and then bitterly disappointed when he'd performed the Summoning Jutsu and a little runt of a bat had appeared.

He'd voiced his disappointment, and for his rudeness was knocked off of his feet by one of Sevaron's wind-style jutsus. Since then, they'd fought well together. Sev was even able to give Sasuke tips on his Silent Killing technique, since as a bat he was well used to fighting without relying on his eyes. Now they were good friends, although Sasuke was occasionally grossed out by the little bat's love of blood.

"I sensed you starting to mope," Sev answered. "And it bores me. Stay focused, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head. "As you command, Almighty One. Jeez, you're a worse taskmaster than Itachi."

Sev jabbed Sasuke once more, but more gently this time. "Silence, slave! More speed!"

Just then, a senior member of the Kanchiki clan appeared beside Sasuke, keeping pace while jumping from tree to tree.

"Sasuke," the shinobi said respectfully, "Zabuza-sama is looking for you. He's up ahead."

The respectful tone was a recent development. Even though Sasuke was the only one yet to have received a contract with the vampire bats from Zabuza, the members of the Rebellion had been very unwilling to acknowledge the abilities of such a young boy, and an outsider at that. But once Sasuke had challenged the loudest of his hecklers to unarmed combat, the general opinion had changed. The Kanchiki treated him like one of their own, and respected his abilities. His opponent still held a grudge, but that was only to be expected. Nobody liked getting thrown into a tree by someone who was half your age, and little over half your height.

Sasuke nodded to the messenger, and put on a burst of speed. He caught up with Zabuza, who was leading the fast-moving group of warriors. There were only twelve shinobi there, Zabuza and Sasuke and ten of the Kanchiki. The rest were scattered in different groups around the country, all with at least one sensor-type shinobi. Their orders were to disrupt any major shipments to Kirigakure, as long as they weren't defended by too many shinobi. Their second task was to distribute wealth and provisions to the peasants and farmers in the countryside. It was part of Zabuza's plan to win the goodwill of the people, and Gato's wealth went a long way toward providing much-needed supplies.

When Zabuza saw Sasuke approaching through the trees, he signaled a halt. "Everyone, get close."

The rebels gathered in a tight circle, waiting to hear what had caused the halt.

"Kadowaki says there's a large group of shinobi circling to cut us off from the mountains." He gestured to Kadowaki, a large man with long, shaggy gray hair and the pale complexion common to the mountain-dwelling Kanchiki. He was the best sensor in the entire Kanchiki clan, with the exception of the elders who had stayed underground with the children.

Kadowaki leaned forward to speak. He was a large man, though a little stooped from his years under the mountain. He had a pair of startlingly blue eyes, which shone even brighter because of his pale face. His hair was blond, but washed out, like the dull yellow of stalks of wheat.

"This group is bad news," he said grimly. "I think they're at least twenty strong, and when I say strong I mean it. They're packing a lot of power - I'd say over half of them are jonin-level. And they know what they're doing. If they keep moving in the same direction they've been going, they'll get in between us and the mountains."

"I was waiting for something like this," Zabuza said at last. "Masanori isn't the kind of man who would tolerate any kind of blow to his reputation. This is the hammer that he sends to crush us. I wouldn't be surprised if they were led by Kisame, or one of the other Swordsmen."

Adrenaline was already beginning to pump through Sasuke's veins. "So what do we do?"

Zabuza grinned at him. "The same thing we've been doing. Lie low. The rendezvous with our inside man is in a little over two weeks. We stay ahead of these Hunters, and then go to the meeting. A group this large, they must have made some noise leaving the village. Our guy will know who they are, and what their orders are. The time isn't right yet to bring Masanori's forces to open battle, so we'll have to be a little more... subtle."

The thought of Zabuza advocating for caution and subtlety was too much for Sasuke to handle. He snorted loudly, drawing the disapproving stares of the other rebels. None were more disapproving than Zabuza's.

"Right, then," Zabuza said, still staring at Sasuke. "We avoid open battle, which means we can't keep heading towards the mountains. We're going to have to change direction, and the Hunter nin will no doubt find traces of us. But Kadowaki will keep tabs on them, and with the help of the Vampire Bats we can fly at night."

From his perch on Sasuke's shoulder, little Sev spoke up. "My father says the warriors don't like carrying people around. They say they're fighters, not pack mules."

Zabuza waited a second, and gave Sev a respectful nod of his head. "Please relay my apologies to your father, and my request for his clan's patience. There will be many more battles to fight, but only if we're alive to fight them."

"I'll tell him," Sev nodded. "I don't know why they're whining, anyway."

Sasuke snorted again. "Probably because _you_ don't have to carry one of us, Sev. Humans are heavy."

Zabuza pointed at Sasuke, and said, "Silence, runt! We're in a meeting."

Sasuke scowled. "Well, get on with it, then!"

Zabuza sighed, and threw up his hands in defeat. "I will. And I say: commence Operation Run-and-Hide. You'd just better hope your brother is at the rendezvous point in two weeks, or else I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands."

Sasuke had faith that his brother would be there. He couldn't wait to see Itachi again, and Haku. But for now, there was work to be done. Even if it was, as Zabuza admitted, mostly running and hiding.

With the Kanchiki behind them, Zabuza and Sasuke leapt off into the gathering dark.

oOoOo

There was a street in Kirigakure, called Shinobi Row, that catered mostly to shinobi. There were weapons dealers, clothing stores, scrolls and inks for sealing, and even restaurants and a bar that served shinobi exclusively. Some might have thought it strange, then, to see two villagers walking down the street, who were clearly not shinobi. The elder, a young man in overalls, was clearly a bumpkin and walked without the natural grace of a shinobi. And the young girl at his side, who carried a basket overflowing with woolen scarves and hats, looked no more dangerous than a daisy. So why were they on Shinobi Row? The curious figured that they must simply be taking a walk home from the Market, and decided to walk down the Row for the extra security of having shinobi around. Kirigakure was not entirely free from crime, even though the Mizukage set harsh punishments for any infractions.

None of the curious, however, deduced that these two villagers might actually be shinobi. The thought that they might be a threat was as far from their minds as the idea that their peaceful lives in the village might be coming to an end. Yet both were true. And in fact, the country bumpkin in the overalls knew a hundred ways to kill with his little finger, and uncountably many ways to kill with his mind. And the little girl at his side was not a little girl at all, but a killing machine with a kind heart that nevertheless would commit any atrocity to accomplish a mission. And they were on a mission.

Itachi and Haku continued to walk down the Row, appearing casual and not at all as if they were waiting for anything to happen. So when a shinobi was kicked out of the bar, landing on his feet but rolling unsteadily, they acted as if it wasn't exactly what they had known would happen. As if it wasn't what they had been waiting for.

The shinobi in question wore the hitai-ite of Kiri, and the flak jacket of a chunin. He was much older than either Itachi or Haku, looking to be more than twice Itachi's age. And even from a good many yards away, the reek of alcohol registered clearly to their sharp senses.

"Damn it!" the shinobi shouted, shaking his fist in the direction of the bar. It was called The Drunken Kunai, and apparently the proprietors knew when a customer had had enough. It was probably smart not to let shinobi drink to excess – what with the lifestyle, not many shinobi were happy drunks, and impairing the judgment of a bunch of angry or depressed career warriors probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Bunch of cheapshkates!" the shinobi yelled, the alcohol slurring his voice. He stumbled a step.

"Go," Itachi whispered to Haku. The boy nodded, and walked up to the shinobi with a concerned expression.

"Mister," Haku said, his voice sounding eerily indistinguishable from a girl's, "are you all right?"

"Wha'sh that?" the shinobi said, whirling around drunkenly and looking around before he saw Haku approaching. "Ah, girlie, don't mind me. I'm jush… jusht a little drunk, tha'sh all."

He made as if to walk away, and then stumbled again. Haku rushed to support him, grabbing his hand to keep the shinobi from losing his balance. Itachi's eyes were sharp enough to see the tiny needle that Haku kept in the palm of his hand, but if he hadn't been expecting to see it even he might have missed it. It pricked the shinobi so lightly that he didn't even notice it, and no one watching could have seen, unless they were expecting it like Itachi.

Truly, Itachi reflected once again, Zabuza had found a gold mine when he found Haku. The boy picked up every aspect of espionage like a fish learning to swim. He would have Itachi's bid to join ANBU in a second.

Soon the needle's poison did its work, knocking the chunin out cold. He slumped and fell to the ground, looking to any passersby as if he'd simply passed out from too much drink.

"Brother," Haku called out, her voice so sincerely worried Itachi was almost convinced. "Is he all right? What do we do?"

"Calm down, sister," Itachi called, hastening over to the fallen shinobi. "He's all right – he's still breathing. We'll take him home and get him cleaned up, and he'll be fine."

So he hoisted the shinobi on his back, letting out a convincing grunt, and headed back to the house that he and Haku owned. As he walked, every now and again hitching his shoulders to get a little more comfortable under the shinobi's dead weight, Itachi hoped that this chunin would have the information they needed.

It had taken three days to find a shinobi that was both senior enough to potentially have access to the nature of the Mistring, but who was also easy to waylay and wouldn't be missed. It had been Haku who found Yoroda, a veteran chunin who possessed a crippling fondness for drink. Haku had spent two days following him from a safe distance, getting to know his habits.

Itachi hated wasting so much time finding information, because with each day that passed Mei was getting closer to Zabuza. But he trusted Zabuza to stay one step ahead, and questioning Yoroda was the best way to learn about the Mistring.

If the Mistring was something to be used in times of war, it made sense that chunin, as squad leaders, would have at least a rudimentary knowledge of what it was, if only to be tactically prepared when the time came. But if it was something more sinister, Itachi would know and then be prepared to take the necessary steps before his rendezvous with Zabuza.

When they got back to the house, Itachi unloaded Yoroda gracelessly on the table. Haku opened the hatch that led down into the basement, and Itachi dropped the chunin through. He landed with a thump, raising a cloud of dust.

"I'll get him set up, and start crafting the genjutsu," Itachi told Haku. "Keep a lookout, in case anyone comes looking for him, or, Kami forbid, if anyone wants me to do any woodcarving. Just say I'm indisposed, and if there's trouble don't hesitate to use your Ice Release."

Haku only nodded, and left to take up a post on the ceiling where he could watch the streets without being seen. He was as obedient as a guard dog, and a thousand times more effective.

Itachi sighed, and went down into the basement to get to work. He would have given a year of his life to have a Yamanaka with him. Inoichi, for instance, would know everything that this poor fool knew within minutes. But Inoichi was dead, and Itachi was on his own. He would have to do this the hard way.

A few minutes was enough time for Itachi to drag Yoroda over to his makeshift interrogation table, prop him up in a chair, and sweep all of the dust on the floor into a corner. Luckily the scam he was about to run didn't require many props, but he had been required to craft a wooden chair and a wooden table, and go to the market to buy a lamp. The rest would be all genjutsu.

Itachi was a master at the art of interrogation, and now he was going to have to prove it. He tied Yoroda's hands to the table with a piece of twine, looped around the table legs. Then he pushed the chair in close to the table, and angled the lamp so that its bulb pointed straight at Yoroda. The bulb itself wasn't very bright, but with Itachi's genjutsu it would seem like Yoroda was staring straight into a miniature supernova.

Itachi looked around, and was satisfied. There was nothing in the room to distract from his genjutsu, and anything that wasn't there he would add, like a painter filling in an empty canvas. It was time to begin. Itachi palmed a needle from his pouch – it contained the antidote to Haku's knockout poison. He pricked Yoroda in the arm, and then made the needle disappear deftly back into his pouch.

He leaned over Yoroda's shoulder, until his mouth was barely an inch from the chunin's ear. "Yoroda," he whispered. "Wake up."

oOoOo

"Yoroda. Wake up." The voice echoed strangely, cutting through the fog that clouded Yoroda's brain. It was harsh, insistent. It made Yoroda nervous.

First he tried moving his legs, to spring to his feet in case of an attack. It was a shinobi's instincts, and they never died no matter how much you tried to drown yourself in drink. But Yoroda found that he couldn't move his legs or arms. Next he opened his eyes, just a crack, but enough for a bright light to sear into his eyes.

He let out an unintended cry, and screwed his eyelids shut. The pounding in his brain increased, as if a squadron of drummers had somehow managed to take up residence inside his skull. The pain made it almost impossible to gather his thoughts, even though he knew he was in danger.

The voice came again. "Yoroda."

This time, Yoroda was listening closely, as it was the only sense he could call upon at the moment. And what his ears told him was bad, very bad.

He ventured tentatively, "Kisame? Is that you, sir?" The voice of the shark-man who was head of Intelligence and Interrogation was unmistakable. And that could only mean…

Yoroda began to shiver uncontrollably as the implications of his situation started to sink in.

"Very good," came the voice, full of dry amusement. "You know enough to be afraid. Open your eyes, soldier. View the pain as punishment for your ineptitude."

Refusing to obey was out of the question. Yoroda opened his eyes, wincing in preparation for pain that was every bit as bad as he'd feared. But he held his eyes open, because failure to do so might have meant death. And gradually the light became less of a physical pain, though its glare made everything behind and around it complete darkness. The only thing Yoroda could see was the light and the desk in front of him. His arms were chained to the desk, with special steel-link chains that dampened chakra. Yoroda felt the same chains on his legs, and began to despair. This was a full-scale interrogation, in one of the chambers deep below the Mizukage's Tower. He'd only ever heard of what went on under Kisame's watch. Now he would experience it first-hand, and he didn't even know why. His drinking had never been a problem before, had it? Why now?

Kisame spoke from behind him. "Of course you know why you're here."

Yoroda swallowed, only to find that his mouth held no moisture. It turned into a hacking cough. When he had composed himself, he gathered his courage to respond truthfully. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't."

A hand slammed on the table to Yoroda's right, gray and scaly and strong. Then Kisame walked around the table, and glared at Yoroda.

"I am trying to decide if you are a traitor, or merely stupid. Are you trying to tell me that you _weren't_ abducted by rebels trying to discover the secrets of the Mistring?"

Yoroda gaped, his mind reeling. "What?"

He didn't even see Kisame's hand move, but he felt the jonin's slap like a bull charging into his face. Yoroda thought for a second that he'd unhinged his jaw.

"Don't give me that shit!" Kisame snarled. "You were captured, and then discarded like the worthless piece of scum you are. If it wasn't so important to catch these rebels, I'd let you crawl back into a bottle for the rest of your miserable life."

"Rebels," Yoroda repeated, trying valiantly to marshal his thoughts. "The ones everyone says are running around the country intercepting trade caravans?"

"No, the ones dancing a jig in the town square! Of course, those rebels! They captured you coming out of the bar. What did you tell them?"

Yoroda had a vague memory of coming out of the bar. It floated there, a little out of reach, but he thought he remembered something… a little girl, maybe, and another boy in the distance.

"I… I don't remember…" he said, wishing he could shut his eyes to try and remember better. But Kisame gripped his chin in one huge hand, and forced him to look into the shark-man's eyes.

Kisame swore loudly. "They must have wiped your memory. Congratulations, Yoroda, you have single-handedly betrayed the secrets of our national security. All we can do now is try and control the damage."

"Sir?" Yoroda stammered. It sounded like there was some way to get out of this alive, and he was going to jump at the chance.

"With any luck the information you have is incomplete," Kisame answered. "That means that even if you told them everything you know, the rebels will have an incomplete picture. I can prepare for that, but only if I know what they know."

"So you want to know-"

Kisame cut him off. "What you know about the Mistring. Now, Captain!"

The words poured out of Yoroda in a rush. Please, please let his information be incomplete! Maybe if there was some flaw in his knowledge, Kisame wouldn't kill him. But in his heart, Yoroda knew he was only delaying the inevitable. Masanori's most trusted gatherer of information would never leave a loose end like Yoroda.

"The Mistring, well, I only know what they briefed us on, I swear that's all I know! It's a boundary, a wall of mist that the Mizukage can raise in times of war. It's poisonous and corrosive, so even shinobi wearing gas masks can't pass through unharmed."

Kisame held up a hand. "And could you have betrayed any of the Mistring's weak spots?"

Yoroda was confused. "Weak spots, what do you mean? The Mistring encircles the entire island, without a single break. At least, that's what I was told! That's all I know, I swear it!"

For a second, Yoroda could have sworn that Kisame looked worried when he described the Mistring. But then it was gone, replaced by the emotionless mask that continued to strike fear into Yoroda's heart.

"Well done, Yoroda," Kisame said at last. "The rebellion thanks you for your aid."

Yoroda had just enough time to gape in surprise, before he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his arm and everything faded once again into darkness.

In the dusty little basement room, Itachi Uchiha dropped his genjutsu with a sigh of extreme weariness. Maintaining total control over every sense receptor in the brain for an extended period of time was a strain, both on one's chakra reserves and on one's mind. It required power guided with the utmost precision, and absolute focus on the images and sounds that one wanted a victim to experience.

Itachi went to the room above, where Haku was waiting, apparently having anticipated when Itachi would finish.

"Well?" the younger boy asked.

"I know what it is," Itachi said, "a boundary completely enclosing the island from any outside aid. It would trap the rebellion within the borders, cutting us off from any aid from Gato company and denying us any option of retreating. What I don't know is where the Mizukage gets the power to activate the Mistring."

"So what's our next step?"

Itachi smiled, and gestured at the opening down into the basement. "First, I'll need to erase Yoroda's memory of what just happened. Some localized pressure on the memory centers in his brain should do it, although he'll probably lose some IQ points in the process. Then we'll dump him in an alley, and throw a little more booze on him. It doesn't matter if his superiors discover the ruse and track us down, because we're almost done. We just need to find out what powers the Mistring, and then we leave the village and go meet up with Zabuza."

"Why do we have to know where it gets its power from?" Haku asked. "Once they find out about Yoroda, which they probably will because people saw us walking away from the bar with him, our covers will be blown. Shouldn't we leave now, while we still can?"

"Not yet," Itachi answered. "We have to know what drives the Mistring, because that's the only way to sabotage it."

Understanding spread across Haku's face. Itachi smiled at him, and then gestured out the door. "Now go and find a likely alley in which to dump our friend."

oOoOo

Mei was beyond frustrated. She'd traveled the length and breadth of Water Country, and she hadn't found so much as a whiff of Zabuza's rebels. They'd found trails, of course – hundreds of them. But even with the best Hunter nin that Kiri had to offer, Zabuza always seemed to be one step ahead. Mei could picture the man, casual and infuriating, grinning as he avoided Mei with ease.

"Just you wait, Zabuza," she growled under her breath. "We'll see who has the last laugh."

There was less than a week left before the two-week deadline was up. In desperation, Mei had begun to farmers about the rebels. She stopped at farms, pretending to be a noblewoman traveling with bodyguards, and asked peasants and farmers what they knew about the vicious rebels terrorizing the countryside.

To her considerable dismay, a large fraction of the people she met had no problems with Zabuza at all. In fact, several were downright ecstatic about his rebellion, though of course they didn't say so openly to a noblewoman.

But Mei was perceptive, and she saw the small smiles that flitted around when she raised Zabuza's name. The tricky bastard was distributing money with a free hand, and even providing more tangible goods like food and farm implements.

Mei was grudgingly impressed with his strategy. As the leader of a band of kekkei genkai users, Zabuza was bound to be hated and feared. But these people were hungry, many unable to thrive because of the ruinous taxes that Masanori levied on the population. Mei had often tried to get her father to lower the taxes, but he wouldn't hear of it. And in helping the farmers, who suffered the most from Masanori's taxes, Zabuza was starting to change the perception of the people toward his genetically enhanced fighters.

What Mei couldn't understand was where Zabuza was getting all of the _money_. The way he was distributing wealth he must have had extremely deep pockets, even putting aside the amount he'd stolen from Kirigakure trade caravans.

There was a part of Mei that applauded Zabuza's tactics, and not just for their political effect. She wanted her people to be able to feed themselves, and as a kekkei genkai user herself she hoped that one day the hatred that ruled the country would cease. But that day could never come while her father ruled.

But still, a civil war was not the answer. Shinobi fighting shinobi, just like in the bad old days that Masanori had told his daughter about. The only thing that would come out of a situation like that would be widespread hatred toward shinobi in general. And such hatred would come from the peasants, the farmers, the workers – people who had no hope of defending themselves, and yet would suffer the most in a large-scale battle. Mei knew the only way to protect her land was to bring Zabuza to justice, and quickly.

But time was running out, and Zabuza was acting like a wraith, or a demon in truth, dissolving into the mist whenever she drew near. Mei had to do something, or else her father would take the decision out of her hands.

That night, Mei gathered her forces and split them in two. She took ten of the shinobi in the group of twenty, keeping the strongest shinobi and the best of the Hunter nin. And she sent the other ten in a new direction, with orders to stay in radio contact but to move as quickly as possible, like hounds sent into the wilderness to scare the foxes out of hiding.

"Go toward the coast," she directed them, "and engage any rebels you find. We'll stay less than an hour away from you, close enough to reinforce you. Each day you don't find anything, split in half, and in half again. On the third day, if we still haven't found the rebels, we meet back on the road to Kiri. Understood?"

All of them, jonin and elite Hunter nin alike, saluted their lady. They were utterly devoted to her, and would not fail.

oOoOo

It was afternoon, and the sun felt pleasant on the back of Kiba's neck as he made his rounds around the camp. He had pestered Shino to talk with him all afternoon, but the taciturn Aburame had resisted all efforts to draw him into a conversation.

Instead Kiba settled with occasionally petting Akamaru, and whispering now and again what a wet blanket Shino was. The growing buzzing sound from under Shino's jacket testified to the fact that his hearing was very sharp, and that his insects didn't appreciate Kiba's comments about their host.

Kiba was just about to jump away from Shino to avoid any retaliation, when the wind shifted ever so slightly, and foreign smells invaded his nostrils. He smelled people, and metal, and the peculiar odor that accompanied the expenditure of chakra.

"Shinobi," Kiba gasped turning to Shino. It was a measure of how worried the Aburame was, that his concern was clearly visible on his face.

"My allies indicate that they came upon the scene of our battle. Now they're following the trail back to camp. Since we expended considerable time and effort hiding our trail, it is logical that these shinobi will be formidable."

Kiba went pale, and headed back to the camp at full speed. He found the rest of Sandstorm already mobilizing, apparently at Gaara's urging. "I saw them with my Third Eye," he told them. "They'll be on us in seconds."

"In formation," Kakashi yelled. "Our primary objective is to protect Team Asuma."

Kiba spared a glance at his fallen teammates. Ino and Shikamaru were on their feet, kunai in hand and wearing determined expressions, but Kiba knew that their chakra reserves would be dangerously low. At their feet were the sleeping forms of Asuma and Choji.

Kiba felt his teeth begin to elongate into fangs, and from his own throat a low growl emanated that was mirrored by Akamaru. No one was going to threaten his pack – it was as simple as that.

He looked up from his teammates toward the trees at the edge of their base. At first, there was nothing but a tense silence. Then ten forms burst from cover all at once. Half wore hita-ite from Kiri, while the other half wore white masks with Kiri's symbol on one side.

For a moment the two groups stood, silent, surveying each other. Then the fight began.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **To everyone who's been waiting for an update, I'm very sorry – it's been quite a while. Since my last update, though, I've been working a good deal on my other stories, which I encourage you to check out. I've officially finished my first story, Out of the Shadows. It isn't nearly as wide-ranging as Rise of the Uchiha, but I think I actually like the characterization more in some parts. Anyway, if you like Rise of the Uchiha and are looking for a complete story to read, you can link to Out of the Shadows from my profile.

Here's the final word on this arc: there will be two more chapters to finish up the Kirigakure Rebellion. After that, Naruto and the gang will be back to stay. While I'll focus on other characters too, Naruto will not disappear from the story again.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 25**

Sakura realized immediately that this fight was going to be different from the last one. The Kiri shinobi were faster, stronger, and markedly better at coordinating their attacks than the Iwa shinobi had been. There were ten enemies, and all were jonin level. But the way that they integrated their techniques made them a much more formidable foe.

The Kiri shinobi were employing water-style jutsus to great effect. They had created a wall of water, drawing on the nearby river, and kept it between themselves and the shinobi from Sandstorm. It was devastatingly effective as a barrier – without eye contact, Sakura couldn't use genjutsu, and her poisoned senbon were worse than useless. Kiba couldn't aim his gatsuga, and Shino's bugs couldn't fly through the wall without drowning.

What was worse, the wall was not just a defensive barrier. As the Kiri shinobi stayed in motion, weaving a complicated pattern to keep from getting caught by any flanking attacks, they sent out spikes and lashing whips of water. Sometimes they formed small gaps in the wall, through which they sent kunai with explosive tags and smoke bombs.

Temari used her fan to blow away most of the projectiles, but she was on the defensive from the start. With ten jonin maintaining the water wall, even her most powerful wind attack couldn't dispel their enemy's main jutsu.

Kakashi and Baki worked together, trying to flank the wall, but each time they were turned back by the Kiri shinobi. Their more powerful attacks couldn't penetrate the water wall either, and the Kiri jonin were employing the wall to great effect to keep them from bringing the battle to close quarters.

The Sandstorm genin ended up relying on Gaara, whose sand intercepted the water spikes and ended up forming a barrier similar to the water wall. But his sand quickly became saturated, and before long Gaara's sand became sluggish and unresponsive.

Soon all the Sandstorm genin could do was dodge. They couldn't block water with their weapons – it would just flow around their kunai, and strike them with uninterrupted force. The Kiri jonin herded them all like sheepdogs, using their slight advantage in numbers to keep them from splitting up. But even then, Sakura knew they couldn't risk getting too far away from Asuma's team. The four shinobi, even guarded by Ino and Shikamaru, wouldn't stand a chance against the concerted assault of the Kiri shinobi.

While dodging more of the water attacks, Gaara called out to Kakashi and Baki. "They're too strong – I need to unleash it! Get everybody out of here, and I'll hold them off."

Sakura turned to Gaara, shocked. He was planning on letting his demon loose, to buy them time to escape. But even if he managed to defeat their opponents, it was a gamble at best whether he'd be able to bring his demon back under control.

"No!" Sakura shouted. "Gaara, you can't!"

Gaara's expression was filled with regret, but his resolve was unshaken. "It's our best option."

Kakashi sent off a volley of explosive kunai, and turned his head long enough to yell, "We can't risk it! Unleashing your power will only put the entire area in danger, and if the Mizukage found out it would be a declaration of war."

It was true – if the Mizukage knew that Gaara was a jinchuriki in service to Sunagakure, unleashing Gaara's demon would be grounds for war. So that trump card was closed to them, unfortunately.

They fought on, but it was a defensive fight and it only became more desperate as time went on. Sakura gained a number of cuts where the water had lashed against her, slicing as cleanly as a blade even though it was only liquid. The rest of the genin fared no differently, all of them suffering a number of cuts and gashes when they were too slow to avoid the attacks completely. Finally, Kiba was a step too late, and a whip of water caught him about the waist. The shinobi controlling the whip brought Kiba high into the air, and then threw him into the ground. Kiba landed with an echoing _thud, _and lay there stunned as the whip of water turned into a spear and descended towards his head.

Sakura let out a wordless cry, and sprang to her teammate's defense. But she was too far away, and she had no technique that could stop the deadly spike coming ever closer. A flash of black made her turn her head, and she saw something zoom across the clearing, too quickly for her to make it out. A small glow of chakra surrounded the black blur, and it intercepted the falling water spear. The concentrated chakra, moving at such a high velocity, disrupted the water jutsu, turning the spear into a harmless column of water. It splashed on Kiba's head, bringing him to his senses immediately. He jumped up and away, rejoining Sakura and Gaara.

Sakura looked this way and that, but the dark blur that had saved Kiba had disappeared. When she looked up, however, there were more dark blurs in the sky, approaching fast. They became large and larger, until finally Sakura could make out flying forms with large, leathery wings.

Jumping from the backs of these creatures were small blobs that resolved into the forms of men and women, who hurtled toward the ground with increasing speed. Mere yards from the treetops, they began forming hand seals in synchronization. To Sakura's surprise, thick columns of water emerged from canteens at their waists and seemed to catch the falling figures, suspending them and controlling their fall.

Twelve shinobi landed in the clearing, between the Kiri shinobi and the Sandstorm shinobi. Sakura noticed two immediately: the man in the center, whose mouth and neck were covered with bandages, and the boy beside him, whose dark hair and pitch-black eyes made a striking contrast with his pale face. The other ten were all slightly hunched, though very muscular, with even paler skin and strange eyes that seemed more dilated than usual, as if they were unused to the light.

The dark blur that had saved Kiba reappeared, flying out of the trees to perch on the dark-haired boy's shoulder. Now Sakura saw that it was a bat, smaller but similar to the human-sized bats that had delivered these strange new shinobi from the sky. The little bat smirked slightly, seemingly enjoying the silence that had fallen as a result of the newcomers' arrival.

The man with bandages around his mouth took a step in front of his comrades, facing towards the Kiri shinobi but projecting his voice to carry. "Seems someone decided to have a party without inviting me. How rude."

Kakashi answered first, shouting, "Are you the leader of the rebellion?"

"That's right," the man replied. "Momochi Zabuza, at your service. Since the establishment seems to have placed you on its black list, how about we fight together? We can go through the rest of the introductions after we take care of these fellows."

Kakashi laughed brightly. "Done."

Sakura kept half of her attention on the dangerous-looking Zabuza, and the other half on the dark-haired boy and the bat on his shoulder. The boy seemed the most out of place, among the scarred and battle-hardened shinobi around him.

But the boy was sharp, and he seemed to notice that he was being watched. He turned to Sakura, and gave her a crooked grin. "Looks like we're on the same team, for now. Just try not to get in the way."

oOoOo

Itachi had a new mission. He had to find the power source that drove the Mistring, and disable it if he could. That way, Zabuza and the rebels could evade Masanori's trap. The problem was, Itachi didn't know where such a power source might be, or what form it might take.

Luckily, he was reasonably confident about where to find answers. Thanks to some valuable snooping by Haku, Itachi now knew that there was a substantial series of underground tunnels directly below the Mizukage's Tower. That was Itachi's best bet as to where the Mistring's power source would be hidden. Even if he didn't find anything, underground cells were usually used by the Intelligence officers of a village. If Itachi was forced to resort to drastic measures, he could capture a high-ranking shinobi and conduct a quick interrogation.

It was sloppy, and there were many ways that the plan could go wrong, but Itachi had little choice. The rendezvous with Zabuza and Sasuke was only two days away, and Itachi needed to know as much as he could about the Mistring before leaving Kirigakure. The best option would be to disable it if he could, but that relied on finding the power source. A barrier of mist sounded like a large-scale ninjutsu, perhaps anchored with seals around the entire country, and generated by massive amounts of chakra. The source of that chakra, wherever it might be, was what Itachi needed to find.

So once again, he made his way to the Mizukage's Tower. This time, however, he wouldn't be listening outside of windows – he would need to infiltrate to the deepest, most secure regions of the Tower. That would take preparation.

Itachi decided to use a layered genjutsu, one of the strongest in his arsenal. The first layer was the ANBU's most sophisticated camouflage techniques: it projected whatever was behind someone in front of them, so that they would essentially become invisible. The second layer was a strengthening of the technique sealed into Itachi's amulet. It obliterated his chakra signature and his scent, making him undetectable to senseor-type shinobi. The only way someone would discover him was if he made too much noise, or if he was clumsy enough to walk into someone. Those were two things that Itachi didn't do.

Itachi tested his genjutsu by approaching the Tower openly, in broad daylight. He walked right past the Chunin guarding the door, following on the heels of a messenger delivering a letter. Itachi held his breath as he passed, and the guards didn't so much as blink. Once inside, he wandered around in search of an entrance to the lower levels.

There was a stairway near the back of the complex, which led down into cramped corridor. At the end of the corridor was a wooden door with metal bars criss-crossing in front. Standing on either side of the door were two more chunin guards.

Here was a challenge – Itachi needed to get through this door without alerting these two, or attracting any unwanted attention. He could kill them, but whenever the guard changed they would be discovered, and he would be on his own in hostile territory with every single Kiri shinobi hot on his heels.

This was a situation which called for subtlety, and an extremely powerful genjutsu. Itachi shaped chakra with his will, holding it in check while his mind crafted the genjutsu. Even though the chunin couldn't see him, just the smallest amount of eye contact was enough for Itachi to activate his technique. He completed the hand seals, and then their minds were under his influence.

Itachi blocked extraneous sound waves from reaching their ears, so that they wouldn't hear when the door opened. He limited their peripheral vision, so they would only see what was in front of them – an empty corridor. Finally, he implanted within them a compulsion to move one step forward, just far enough so that the door opening would not hit them. The two guards stepped forward in unison, neither noticing the other, and neither questioning their own sudden impulse to move.

Itachi slipped in between them, noticing the lever that jutted out from the wall near the door. He pulled down on it, which caused the metal bars to retract into the wall, leaving the door unguarded. Itachi opened it just enough to slip through, and closed it gently behind him. He left the guards as they were, allowing his genjutsu to wear off gradually. Once Itachi closed the door, he heard the metallic sound as the bars came back out of the wall to cover the door again.

Now that Itachi had accessed the lower levels, he went in search of a chakra source. He took out a small piece of string, which he'd tied around a needle. Thanks to a sophisticated seal taught in ANBU training, the needle swiveled until it pointed in the direction of the largest chakra source in the nearest vicinity. It was a method of finding things, like chakra-powered weapons or approaching enemy forces – the problem was that it was incapable of distinguishing between different sources of chakra, treating humans the same as seals or ongoing techniques. Itachi thought that the technique would work now, though, because a power source for something as huge as the Mistring must be the largest chakra source nearby, if indeed the power source was in the tunnels.

Sure enough, the needle swung just like a compass needle, directing Itachi down and to his left. He followed the needle, which led him through a complicated series of turns and new hallways. Itachi wished he had the time to map out the entire compound – no doubt there was a treasure trove of valuable information at the ends of these tunnels, just waiting for a talented spy like him to unearth. But he had no time, so he kept on following the needle.

As Itachi descended deeper into the tunnels, the lights became less and less frequent and the walls became dinger and dirtier. At the same time, Itachi's makeshift chakra compass began to quiver more and more. That was a sign that the chakra source, wherever it was, was quite potent. Instinct told Itachi that he was on the right path.

Finally, Itachi came to the end of his search. The needle was quivering so much it seemed ready to break from the string. At the end of the corridor was a cast-iron door, reinforced by chakra seals to be resistant to explosions.

_This must be it, _Itachi thought. This door was blast-resistant and had no keyhole – the only way to open it was with a specific jutsu. It was a method of sealing off top-secret areas that was almost impossible to circumvent – almost, but not quite. No lock was unbreakable, even when the lock was a chakra seal. Itachi came closer to the door, and put away his makeshift chakra compass.

His task was both simple and extremely difficult. Using the residual traces of chakra left over from previous visitors opening the door, Itachi needed to reconstruct the jutsu and use it himself. It was difficult because the jutsu itself would be of the highest difficulty, requiring complex seals and precise chakra control. It was easy because Itachi's sharingan allowed him to read the chakra traces as if they had been written in fresh ink on paper. This was one reason why the Konoha Military Police had loved the Uchiha – using their sharingan, they could reconstruct crimes committed with chakra days after the actual crime had occurred. Itachi had such control over his sharingan that he could copy techniques from nothing more than the smallest traces of residual chakra.

It took a minute of intense concentration, but then Itachi's task was done. He performed the correct seal, and murmured, "_release_." Gears ground together in the door's innards, and with a metallic clicking the door swung open.

Whatever Itachi had been expecting, it was not even close to what he found.

oOoOo

Sasuke had no idea who these shinobi were. They were wearing blank masks, but the masks were different from the ones worn by Kiri's Hunter nin. He supposed they might be guards from a merchant caravan, like those Iwa shinobi they had encountered before, but what need did a merchant escort have to hide their identities? There was something fishy about these people, and no mistake – but Zabuza wanted to fight with them, so Sasuke wasn't about to argue.

After two weeks of non-stop running and hiding, Sasuke took a certain savage satisfaction in finally being able to strike against his pursuers.

"Hey, runt," Zabuza called out. "Feel like doing something about that water jutsu?" He gestured at the seething wall of water, which was just beginning to revolve again now that the Kiri shinobi were adjusting to fight against new odds.

"It would be my pleasure," Sasuke grinned. A wall of water might be a formidable technique against many shinobi, but not against him. Sasuke leaped into the air, and gathered electrical energy with a simple hand seal. He came down like a bird of prey, his hand held high. At the last moment he swung forward, unleashing a series of lightning bolts that arced out and struck the wall of water. The yellow glow spread and lit the clearing, as Sasuke's lightning technique coursed through the water.

Zabuza did his own piece by sending a torrent of water in the shape of a dragon toward the Kiri shinobi. It submerged with the wall and pushed past it, carrying the deadly water with thousands of volts of electricity towards their opponents. The Kiri shinobi erred on the side of safety, dropping their hold on the shared water jutsu and moving out of range of Zabuza and Sasuke's combination attack.

Sasuke yelled enthusiastically, drawing a hiss of complaint from Sevaron, who didn't appreciate the loud noise. "That'll keep them from risking too many water jutsus," Sasuke said with satisfaction. "And Zabuza," he added, turning to the leader of the rebellion, "if you call me runt again, I'll use the same technique on you."

Zabuza gave a rough laugh. "Stop trying to act all cool, just because we have company. You're a runt if I say you're a runt."

Sasuke drew breath to complain, but the Kiri shinobi rejoined the fight. This time they attacked individually, avoiding joint water jutsus for fear of Sasuke's lighting release. Now they were the ones fighting defensively, operating in two-man teams and trying to keep from engaging any one group for too long. Sasuke fought alongside Zabuza, and got his first look at the fighters Zabuza had decided to help out.

It seemed they weren't as weak as Sasuke had first thought. Now that the water wall wasn't dictating the pace of the fight, it seemed that even the younger shinobi fought with skill. They worked together almost instinctively, in a way that reminded Sasuke of himself and Itachi. The masked fighters seemed to know where their teammates were, and blocked for each other with a level of trust that was quite inspiring.

With the arrival of the Kanchiki, the rebels and their new allies outnumbered the Kiri shinobi by two to one. Slowly, they began pushing them back. Explosions rang out, but the Kiri shinobi maintained very strong defenses. They used their water techniques selectively, as a means of blocking any projectiles or offensive techniques that looked to be dangerous.

But Sasuke knew Zabuza wasn't going to let this fight drag out. They had been following this small group since Mei had split up her forces. The Kanchiki had sensed when their pursuers split, and Zabuza had made the decision to split his group in half as well. He left the other group with orders to engage Mei's group in quick skirmishes, striking and then fading into the countryside, long enough to distract Mei while Zabuza eliminated half of her force. It had just happened that right as Zabuza caught up with the smaller half of Mei's force, that same force had begun a battle with this random group of mystery shinobi.

If the fight dragged on too long, though, Mei and her group would probably show up. That was why Zabuza had told Lord Sevaroth and his bats to go reinforce the Kanchiki who were delaying Mei's group, in an effort to buy Zabuza more time.

Now it was up to Zabuza to end the fight quickly, which meant he would probably use the strongest weapon in his arsenal. Which he did, right after signaling to Sasuke that they were about to attack.

"You've been practicing, right?" Zabuza drawled to Sasuke. "Let's see if you've managed to stop relying too much on those eyes of yours."

Then, in conjunction with the Kanchiki who were most skilled at Water Release, Zabuza began the Hidden Mist technique. The air became fuzzy, and then opaque, as a thick mist rose up and engulfed the clearing.

"Whoever you fellows are," Zabuza called out, yelling to the masked shinobi with whom they were fighting, "just hang back. You're probably not used to fighting in the mist – we'll take it from here."

Sasuke closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to center himself. He had been training in Silent Killing every day – here was his first chance to use it in earnest. Of course, he wouldn't be nearly as adept as the Kanchiki. This was their element, and their kekkei genkai made them nearly as deadly in the mist as Zabuza. Their kekkei genkai, after all, allowed them to sense water, especially water that had been infused with chakra. The Hidden Mist jutsu was precisely that – water turned to dense mist, and held in place with chakra. So the Kanchiki could use their senses, trying to find not where the mist was, but where it was _not_. To the Kanchiki's senses, a human body disrupting the chakra-laden mist was impossible to miss. With their kekkei genkai, they knew exactly where their enemies were in the mist, and didn't need to rely on their eyes at all. Unlike Zabuza and Sasuke, who had to sharpen their senses to fight in the mist, the Kanchiki were completely at home there.

What this meant was that the ten Kiri shinobi, jonin or not, were not going to like what happened next. Sasuke, on the other hand, was looking forward to it.

Sasuke and the Kanchiki began to stalk their prey. The Kiri shinobi were staying close to each other, forming a tight ring facing outward. It was a solid defensive strategy, because it would be impossible to come at any of them from behind. But they were staying in one place, which made it easier for the Kanchiki to set up an attack.

They approached like a pack of hyenas, circling warily around the Kiri shinobi. Small groups surged forward, focusing on one Kiri shinobi at a time. Each attack was no more than a few seconds, meant to keep each one of their enemies tense and frightened. Eventually one of their attacks would land, and then their opponents' formation would collapse.

But if the Kanchiki fought together like hyenas, Zabuza was like the lion that hunts alone. Sasuke barely noticed the sound of him passing, and even that was an accomplishment, given Zabuza's skill. Unlike the Kanchiki, Zabuza felt no fear in charging through the Kiri shinobi's defensive circle. There was a _clang_ of metal meeting metal, and then a blood-curdling scream.

_One down, _Sasuke thought with satisfaction.

But then something strange happened. The mist began to dissolve, thinning out until it was no more than a few wisps drifting in the air. The scene presented itself to Sasuke's eyes.

Zabuza was on the far side of the Kiri shinobi, facing away, his giant blade held out in the aftermath of a swing. Red blood coated the blade, yet it didn't drip down onto the grass - instead, it seemed to be getting absorbed into the blade. The source of the blood was one of the Hunter nin, who had been unable to counter Zabuza's attack. The body was lying in the center of the defensive circle, the Kiri mask discarded in the grass.

Behind Zabuza, however, was the reason that the mist jutsu had dispelled. A beautiful kunoichi with red hair reaching down to her waist had appeared from out of the trees. Behind her were another ten shinobi, a mixture of jonin and Hunter nin. The kunoichi surveyed the battle with calm eyes, her blue dress shifting slightly in the light breeze.

Her eyes were fixed on Zabuza, and her expression changed slowly to one of quiet triumph. "Zabuza," she breathed, one corner of her mouth quirking upward, "you've led me quite a dance. Now it's time to pay the piper."

Zabuza straightened and turned around, hoisting his sword to hang casually over one shoulder. He quirked an eyebrow, and responded in a sinister deep growl. "Tserumi Mei – how the years fly by. Seems only yesterday you were a pampered little princess with a flat chest and freckles. Just look at you now. Do you still hide behind your daddy's skirts, while real shinobi do the fighting?"

Mei looked languidly to the left and right. "I don't see the Mizukage around anywhere!" she exclaimed with mock fear. "Whatever shall I do, without my father to hide me from the big, bad Demon of the Bloody Mist?"

Then the mockery disappeared, replaced by cold purpose. "Enough games. You've wasted two weeks of my valuable time, and all it's accomplished is delaying your defeat. This is the end of the line."

Sasuke ran to Zabuza's side, ready to begin fighting. However, Zabuza's outstretched arm stopped him in his tracks. "Not this fight, runt. Go fight with our new allies. They'll need a hand now that the numbers are even."

Sasuke wanted to argue, but this clearly wasn't the time. He left Zabuza's side, heading for the masked shinobi waiting tensely for the fight to begin again. Mei's voice followed him, taunting.

"My, my! Don't tell me the Demon is now a father! How sweet of you, to keep your son out of harm's way."

Sasuke growled, but Zabuza responded immediately. "He's not my son, and normally I'd be more than happy to let him take care of a little princess like you. But given our history, I'd like to have the satisfaction of killing you all to myself."

oOoOo

It had been quite a while since Mei had been in a challenging fight. As such, she wasn't at all surprised by the heightened sense of expectation that she was experiencing. This wasn't just another mission – her opponent was the rogue Swordsmen, the Demon of the Bloody Mist, the most infamous Missing Nin ever to successfully escape Kirigakure.

Mei and Zabuza, by unspoken agreement, had moved away from their respective teams. With twenty shinobi on both sides, the fight promised to be destructive on a large scale, and neither Mei nor Zabuza wanted their own duel to be interrupted.

"You know," Mei began, "I always wondered which of us was stronger. You were such a prodigy in those days: some said you were the best of the Swordsmen. I was angry with my father for months when he forbade me from challenging you."

Zabuza regarded her curiously. "I would never have guessed it – none of us ever saw you fight. We all thought your father was keeping you from putting yourself in danger."

Mei smiled slowly. "You thought wrong. He wasn't worried about me getting hurt. He just didn't want our enemies to know my true strength. I didn't think it was fair at the time, but now I understand the value of surprising your enemy."

She drew two tanto, shortened versions of the shinobi's classic katana, from the holsters strapped to her thighs. "Well?" she said, brandishing her weapons. "Let's find out if you deserve that fancy sword."

Mei had developed her taijutsu skills to an extreme, relying on the two-sword style of close-range fighting. She couldn't use her kekkei genkai without giving up the secret of the Tserumi clan, so she had been forced to cultivate other abilities as well. Mei's skill with her tantos was usually enough to defeat all but the strongest opponents.

Zabuza attacked straight on, wielding his enormous sword with deadly ease. Mei met his attack directly, crossing her tantos in front and blocking his ferocious swing. She meant to test his strength, and found that he was, in fact, stronger than she was. The force of his blow drove her back several feet, although her blades kept his attack from landing.

Mei jumped back, putting a little distance between the two of them. Now that she had gauged his strength, she knew that she would have to approach this battle indirectly. Zabuza was not someone that she could overpower easily.

Next Mei tested Zabuza's speed, darting around him and lunging in quickly, slashing with her blades before jumping back out of range. But Zabuza met each attack, deflecting her strikes with precision. She supposed that she shouldn't be surprised – Zabuza wasn't just monstrously strong, he was also a master of Silent Killing. His speed and skill were equal to hers.

"You won't beat me like that," Zabuza taunted. "Those pocket-knives you're using couldn't hurt a fly."

Mei sheathed her blades momentarily, and formed a series of hand seals. She converted some of her chakra into water, which allowed for some concentrated and powerful Water-style techniques. "_Water Bullet jutsu!_"

Mei shot out compressed bursts of water, which shot towards Zabuza faster than an arrow. He raised a shield of water, but her jutsu cut through it effortlessly. The compression that was possible because of her chakra conversion meant that her water bullets could even pierce through solid rock. Zabuza realized this and dodged, but not before the first attack carved a shallow gouge along his right thigh.

"Nice technique," Zabuza called out. "I'm impressed. Now it's my turn." He slung his sword over his shoulder, and made hand seals of his own. Two other Zabuzas appeared by his side, each a mirror image of the original. Mei recognized them as water clones, one of the signature jutsus of Kirigakure. They would fight with all of the skill of their owner, and possessed as much of his chakra as he thought fit to invest them with. Mei would have to be wary.

Zabuza and his clones attacked her from three different directions, each wielding a copy of Zabuza's sword. Mei could no longer be sure which was the real Zabuza, so she was determined to take out one after another until she found the real one. She drew her tantos, and prepared to meet their charge. They tried to surround her on all sides, but Mei feinted towards the Zabuza in the lead, and then somersaulted away from the opponents closing in from behind.

She whirled, just in time to meet the attack of one of the Zabuzas. They traded ferocious blows – clone or not, this Zabuza was every bit as strong as the real Zabuza. Mei saw an opening and was about to take it, when realization hit her. Zabuza _wanted _her to destroy the clones. Instead of striking home, Mei leaped back and threw one of her tantos. It hit Zabuza in the stomach, but instead of blood it was water that gushed from the wound.

Then the water clone collapsed entirely, melting into water that glowed with Zabuza's chakra. For a second the water became a glowing sphere, which held Mei's tanto suspended in the center. Then it collapsed, and the water became a puddle on the ground.

_There was a water jutsu incorporated into the clone, _Mei realized. _If I'd taken the bait, it would have been me trapped in that water sphere._

One of the two remaining Zabuzas clapped loudly. "Well done," he said sarcastically. "I've only had that technique fail once before, against a shinobi who is much more talented than either of us."

Mei was normally very kind and soft-spoken, but Zabuza was truly beginning to piss her off. The fact that she had very nearly been trapped didn't improve her mood in the slightest. "Speak for yourself," she snarled. "You have no idea of my true power."

_I need to end this, _Mei realized. _He's stronger than I am, and just as fast. He'll definitely have more tricks up his sleeve. I'm going to have to risk using my kekkei genkai._

The only question was how to arrange things so that Mei's ability wasn't visible to any of the shinobi fighting only a short distance away. If any of the rebels escaped after witnessing Mei's hidden ability, the truth of the Mizukage's hypocrisy would spread. But Mei had an idea, and it would play right into Zabuza's sense of superiority.

She formed a series of hand seals, and a thick mist began to spread all around her. Zabuza watched the approaching mist, first with curiosity and then with satisfaction. "You sure you want to do this?" Zabuza asked. "I'm the Demon of the Bloody Mist, after all. You don't stand a chance against me."

"You're not the only one who's skilled at Silent Killing, Zabuza," Mei replied. "That overconfidence is going to get you killed someday – and that day is today."

The mist solidified and set in, cutting off Zabuza and Mei from the other battle raging between the Kiri shinobi and the rebels. Even the sounds of battle were nullified by the mist. It was as if Mei was the only person in the entire world. Except, of course, for Zabuza and his clone, who were out in the blank whiteness somewhere, waiting.

Mei was confident, now. She would bring Zabuza in to close quarters, where he would have no chance of blocking her lava technique. Once he was dead, she could rejoin her team and put down the rebels once and for all. First, though, she needed to get him in close.

"Tell me, Zabuza," Mei called out, her voice warped by the mist. "Why are you doing this? Is it your desire for revenge that drives you?"

There was the ghost of a footfall, which was the only warning Mei received. She didn't turn around, instead activating an Earth-style jutsu that raised a wall of earth directly behind her, and out of which deadly spikes of rock jutted randomly. She heard the sickly sound of her spears impaling a human body, followed by a sloshing sound.

_That's his second clone finished, _Mei thought.

Zabuza's voice floated through the mist to reach her, although the reverberations obscured the direction from which his voice originated. "Revenge is part of it, obviously," Zabuza said. "I'd have to be crazy not to want to kill Masanori for what he did. But it's more than that. This country is sick, poisoned by your father's paranoia and fear. The people suffer and starve, yet the Mizukage keeps them too terrified even to cry out for freedom."

"Oh?" Mei said, her voice dripping scorn. "So the country is sick, and I suppose you see yourself as the cure? That's why you've been playing the generous lord, doling out food and money to the peasants. Do you think that truly qualifies you to be Mizukage? They may love you now, because you've filled their bellies. But are you foolish enough to believe that they will still love you, after a war that ruins their livelihood? My father is a cruel man, but he has kept the people free from the devastation of shinobi fighting shinobi. You would plunge this country back into chaos, and call it freedom. The kindest thing you can do for this land is to leave it."

"And abandon those who suffer at your father's hands? Masanori taxes them into starvation, placing his bloody boot on the necks of those whom he's supposed to protect. He slaughters entire clans, for no reason other than that they were born with a genetic ability. He is a monster, and if you support him than you are no better."

Mei circled slowly, her senses alert to any attack. She could tell from Zabuza's tone that he was getting more and more worked up. Any second now, he might attack her. She couldn't let his words affect her, or she would lose her chance. But her sense of justice compelled her to answer his accusations, and she couldn't shake the feeling that some of his arguments were truer than she would like.

"It almost sounds like you believe your own act. But I know you, even if you've managed to sway a few people with your lies. You're a heartless killer. Women, children, defenseless babes – you would slaughter them without a second thought if they stood in the way of your revenge. Do your followers know that they're only pawns to you? Say what you want about my father, but your rule would be even worse."

"Shut up!" Zabuza's yell, seemingly a spontaneous reaction to her accusation, was accompanied by his first attack. Mei heard the whistling sound of something sharp flying through the air, and she only just managed to duck in time to avoid Zabuza's sword. It thudded into a tree, and Mei heard Zabuza move quickly to circle around her and retrieve his blade.

"You saw my followers," Zabuza said a moment later, his voice sounding barely under control. "Every one of them made the choice to follow me. I made them no false promises. They know everything there is to know about my need for revenge. But they also know that I will not abandon them. I will fight to protect them, even give my life if necessary. They will give their own lives as well, without a second thought. And why is that? Because as long as Masanori is alive, they must hide like rats in order to survive. There is blood on my hands, to be sure. I'm not free of guilt. But just ask the Kanchiki whether I would make a better ruler than the Masanori the Cruel."

"The Kanchiki?" Mei gasped. That explained so much… if the extinct clan was not actually extinct, then it was no wonder that Zabuza's rebellion had been so hard to track down. The Kanchiki sensors would have been able to track search parties easily. "So that's how you've been evading us."

"That's right," Zabuza answered. "I led them out of the darkness, and they're not going back. Masanori is going to answer for his crimes, and not just the ones against me. All over this country, the nameless victims of Masanori's evil are banding together, and daring to hope again."

Zabuza followed up his declaration with an attack. He appeared out of the mist like a wraith, his sword sweeping down from overhead with inexorable force. Mei's crossed tantos met the blade in mid-air, mere inches above her head. She pushed with all her strength, but Zabuza's blade forced her weapons downward, centimeter by excruciating centimeter.

The two of them were so close that Mei could hear the pounding of Zabuza's heart. "You're stronger than me," Mei panted, her lips curving upward. "Though I hate to admit it."

"Then why are you smiling?" Zabuza grunted through clenched teeth.

"Because I know something you don't know. And that's the secret of the kekkei genkai of the Tserumi clan. Goodbye, Zabuza: you've underestimated me for the last time."

Mei dropped one of her tantos, and formed a one-handed seal with all of her speed. She opened her mouth, and spewed out an unstoppable wave of lava. Zabuza was still trying to overcome her guard, and there was no way he could dodge in time.

Then the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere, a winged shape came speeding through the mist, grabbing Zabuza with strong claws and tearing him away from Mei. Her lava poured out, super-heating the mist, without even singing Zabuza's savior as it flew farther away from Mei.

"Shit!" she swore. It must have been one of those flying monsters that Kiri shinobi had reported during attacks on trade caravans. There was truth to the rumors after all. But that was hardly the issue right now. She had had Zabuza at her mercy, and failed to kill him. Now he had seen her kekkei genkai, and might tell the other rebels. Mei couldn't allow that to happen. They must all die, in order for her secret to remain safe. She wasn't going to hold anything back any more.

Mei dispelled her Hidden Mist jutsu with savage speed, and looked frantically for Zabuza. He was standing a few yards away, just outside of where the boundary of the mist had been. Next to him was a vampire bat standing on its hind legs, larger than Zabuza by a head. Zabuza's expression was one of pure shock.

Even as Mei watched, Zabuza's eyes narrowed with comprehension. "So," he said, slowly, as if still thinking through the implications, "you and your father possess a kekkei genkai. Everything he has ever done, every murder he has sanctioned, has been to eliminate any bloodlines that might pose a threat to him. The hatred he has nurtured in this country is nothing but a smokescreen, so that he can remain in power. I am… impressed, I suppose, at the depths to which Masanori has sunk in his quest for power."

Mei felt all the truth of Zabuza's words, and a blush of shame tinged her cheeks. But she had come to terms with her father's decision long ago, and looking back on the past wouldn't do anything to improve the future. She no longer had a choice – every one of the rebels here must die.

Mei lashed out with another wave of lava, which drove Zabuza back towards the main fight. It had been raging while Mei and Zabuza had been dueling in the mist, and it was clear that there were casualties on both sides. A few of the Kanchiki were dead, and two of the mysterious masked shinobi appeared to have sustained serious injuries. Five of her own were killed, two jonin and three Hunter nin.

Mei advanced towards the fight, and gave an order that she had hoped wouldn't be necessary. "Pursuit Team," she yelled out, gaining the attention of the men and women under her command. "_Execution!_"

The fifteen remaining Kiri shinobi reacted instantly by disengaging from all of their individual battles. They threw up a water wall, similar to the one that the first group had used, but much larger. It ringed the rebels and the masked shinobi, leaving them no retreat away from Mei. The wall didn't enclose them completely – it didn't need to. Mei was the final piece of the trap.

"_Lava Release: Rolling Destruction!_" Mei unleashed the full force of her kekkei genkai, turning the air into a roiling nightmare. Her lava bore down on her opponents, who had nowhere to go. Their only avenue of escape was blocked, and Mei's attack would soon obliterate them completely.

A solitary figure stepped forward. He had a blank mask covering his face, from the sides of which his short red hair protruded messily. He was very short, and carried a gourd that was almost as big as he was. From out of the gourd came a wave of sand, which grew until it formed a wall in front of all of the rebels.

His voice rang out, calm and assured even in the face of approaching death. "_Ultimately Hard Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku!_"

His sand coalesced and took on a new form: it was a giant, immobile raccoon-dog, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and large enough to block all of the rebels from view. Strange red markings covered the construct's chest, and the shield – for that was what it must be – intercepted the lava as it roared in search of its victims.

Mei's strongest attack met the young shinobi's defense, and to her astonishment, the shield held. For one disconcerting second, Mei thought that she had finally found a technique that her Lava Release couldn't destroy. But then the giant construct began to droop, as the superheated lava ate its way through the ultimate defense.

Mei concentrated more chakra, determined that her next attack would finish them all off. Too late, she noticed the dark shapes swooping down from the sky. She was helpless to react as a score of vampire bats dove through the air, evading the attacks that Mei's loyal shinobi sent at them. They disappeared from view because of sand-user's giant shield, but they came back into view as they flew up and away from the battlefield. On the backs of the vampire bats were the rebels and the masked shinobi – not a single one was left behind.

The shield of sand disappeared, followed by Mei's lava – with her victims gone, there was no more use for it. She watched the bats disappear into the distance, and her heart sank as she realized that she had failed.

Mei's lieutenant ran up to her, panting and frantic. "Shall we pursue, Lady Mei?"

Mei sighed regretfully. "No. They're retreating at full speed, and we can't keep up with those creatures. Zabuza knows about my power, so he won't risk a direct confrontation for a while. Our priority now is to return to the village, and brief the Mizukage."

She knew exactly what would happen next. Her father would activate the Mistring, and mobilize his entire army. Meanwhile, Zabuza would try to raise support for his rebels by spreading the news of the Mizukage's kekkei genkai. The fight was escalating into a true civil war. Soon, the death toll would begin to rise. And the longer the fight dragged on, the more the citizens of Water Country would suffer.

oOoOo

The iron door opened into a truly immense chamber. Itachi found himself staring into a room that was almost as big around as the Mizukage's Tower itself, though the ceiling was perhaps only twenty feet high. The floor and walls were made of dark granite, carved and polished so that the whole room gleamed. In the center of the chamber was a cylindrical glass tank, with smooth walls that reached almost to the ceiling. Tubes stuck out from the tank and disappeared into the stone walls, an immense network centered around the tank. The tank was filled two-thirds of the way with water, and the glass walls had strange symbols etched into them that reflected the light in strange patterns.

But what was truly amazing was what was inside the tank. Suspended underwater, floating serenely several feet from the bottom, was a Tailed Beast. The creature had three tails, and looked like a giant tortoise. Itachi froze, his threat sensor overloading in the presence of such a might demon. Yet it didn't react to his presence, seemingly asleep in the giant tank.

After the shock wore off, Itachi's mind kicked into overdrive, analyzing the implications. This, of course, was the Mistring's power source. Somehow Masanori had captured a Bijuu, and kept it contained in this giant aquarium. The network of tubes must be how the Mizukage extracted chakra from the beast. The carvings on the glass walls must be seals powerful enough to keep the demon constrained. Itachi walked forward warily, and ascertained that the carvings on the glass walls really did reach all around the tank. It was a masterpiece of sealing, and an invaluable military asset. The Mizukage had tamed one of the most dangerous creatures in the world, and turned it into a massive battery.

Itachi was both impressed and angry. Impressed, because their enemy was proving to have resources of his own, and a number of tricks up his sleeve. Angry, because it would be impossible to neutralize the Mistring without attempting to free the Three-Tailed Turtle from its glass cage. Itachi wasn't even sure he could accomplish such a feat, and even if he did, the beast might well kill him. Itachi wasn't confident that he could constrain a Bijuu alone.

This was a dangerous new development, and it meant that it was even more crucial for Itachi to rendezvous with Zabuza. The Rebellion would need to create a plan of attack immediately, in order to deal with the twin threats of the Mistring and a mobilizing Kiri army.

Itachi tore his gaze away from the slumbering demon, ready to leave the underground tunnels and connect back with Haku. He turned for the door, only to find a shinobi with a Kiri headband blocking his way.

From the shinobi's pale blue skin and filed teeth, to the gills underneath his eyes and the giant sword wrapped in bandages and slung over one shoulder, it was clear that he could be only one man: Hoshikage Kisame.

Itachi hadn't even noticed his approach, which could mean only one thing – this man was dangerous. "Dispel your genjutsu, please," the shark-man said in a cold, raspy voice. "I'd do it myself, but expending that much chakra might wake up my friend over there." He pointed his sword casually at the Three-Tailed Turtle. "He gets a little grumpy when his sleep is interrupted."

Itachi dropped his layered genjutsu, and became visible to Kisame's eyes. "We wouldn't want that."

Kisame looked him over with interest. "Quite. I don't think I've seen you before… however, I have a sneaking suspicion that you've seen me. Were you by any chance lurking outside a window of the Mizukage's Tower a few days ago? I thought I sensed someone."

"It's hard to say," Itachi replied casually. "I travel so often, I start to forget where I've been."

Kisame bared his teeth in a predator's grin. "I guess my curiosity is destined to remain unsatisfied. Still, since you made it down here unnoticed, you must have some skill. I think I'm going to enjoy this."

Kisame lifted his sword with one hand, and pointed it at Itachi. "Let's see what you've got."

Itachi lowered himself into a ready stance. This time, he knew, he had a real fight on his hands.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **I'm done with finals! Expect more frequent updates for the next few weeks, before I start work in July. I will be alternating Rise of the Uchiha with some of my other stories, though, so while updates will be coming every few days, they won't all be for Rise of the Uchiha.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 26**

Itachi instantly recognized a rival in Kisame. The subservient, groveling shinobi that Itachi had overheard when snooping outside the Mizukage's Tower was gone. In his place was a competent, canny, and above all, _strong_ shinobi. Itachi didn't dare use his sharingan, unless he was absolutely certain he could kill Kisame. Otherwise, he couldn't risk the possibility of Kisame escaping and bringing the news to Masanori. The Mizukage would immediately send a message to Madara, and then all of Itachi's plans would go up in smoke.

The only good thing about this situation was that Kisame was constrained as well - because of the Sanbi sleeping mere yards away, neither shinobi could use techniques that drew on a lot of chakra. Itachi wasn't sure what would happen if the Sanbi woke up when it wasn't supposed to, but the fact that Kisame was treating the possibility so seriously was enough to convince him not to test it.

Itachi became suddenly less confident when Kisame leveled his sword at him. The no-chakra rule apparently didn't apply to Samehada, which ate chakra instead of generating it. Itachi knew all about the properties of the blades of the Seven Swordsmen, and he was starting to think that in this fight, he was at a slight disadvantage. The only weapons he had in his holster were kunai and shuriken.

But he'd been in tighter spots than this before, and he'd always come out alive. That was a winning record he didn't intend to spoil today.

"My blade's hungry," Kisame said with a gruff laugh. "Samehada hasn't feasted on anyone's chakra in quite some time."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Itachi replied calmly, "but I'll be keeping my chakra to myself."

Itachi attacked first, hoping to set the pace of the battle and keep Kisame on the defensive. He used the Body Flicker jutsu to circle Kisame in a wide ring, throwing three shuriken from different directions. He was moving so quickly that the projectiles flew toward Kisame at the same time - he wouldn't be able to block all three at once, so he would have to dodge. When he did, Itachi would be waiting.

But Kisame didn't do what he anticipated. Instead, the Kiri shinobi took a single step to the right, avoiding the path of the shuriken directly behind him. With a single swipe of his giant sword, Kisame knocked the other two shuriken out of the air.

Next Itachi threw a smoke bomb at Kisame's feet, covering him in a thick black cloud. He couldn't use his echolocation jutsu as he normally would, but Itachi had confidence in his senses, and charged toward the cloud to bring the fight to close quarters.

Itachi stopped just in time, as Kisame began a taijutsu technique with Samehada. He spun rapidly, his sword held out flat, generating a small cyclone that dispelled the smoke. If Itachi had been within range, the deadly weapon would have torn him to shreds.

"It's my turn," Kisame said with smug satisfaction. He held his sword aloft and the bandages fell away, shredded into tiny pieces by the spikes that seemed to be sprouting all along the length of the blade. The sword quivered almost like a living thing, the spiky projections waving back and forth as if actively searching for Itachi.

Kisame charged forward, and Itachi realized that he would have no time to dodge - Kisame was that fast. Itachi took out two kunai, and braced himself for impact. At the last second he jumped back and away, redirecting the force of Kisame's blow in a new direction. Even so, Samehada collided with his crossed kunai with unbelievable force. Itachi barely managed to hold his own, and every second that he kept Samehada at bay, it leached him of a good portion of his chakra.

Itachi broke away, jumping back to give himself room. He wasn't going to parry many more attacks, not if he wanted to have any chakra left. Throwing kunai obviously wasn't going to work; Kisame was too fast, and soon Itachi would run out of weapons. He had to find some way to keep Kisame at a distance, without wasting his ninja tools. Itachi had just the thing.

He took out two kunai with one hand, and two coils of ninja wire with his other hand. The ninja wire was made of metal and coated to be especially responsive to chakra, allowing Itachi to wrap it around the handles of his kunai and have it stick like glue. It was a technique he had taught Sasuke, and one that his brother had used to great effect against multiple enemies during their fight against the Cadets from Konoha back in Wave Country. Now, Itachi hoped to use this technique to neutralize the advantage that Samehada gave to Kisame.

"Starting to get scared?" the Kiri jonin asked with a smirk. Itachi didn't bother to respond. He began spinning the kunai at the end of the wires, making small, controlled circles with his wrists. The kunai quickly became silver blurs in the artificial light of the chamber, responding to the merest change in pressure to become extensions of Itachi's will.

With a flick of his wrist, Itachi sent one kunai shooting out in a viper-quick strike toward Kisame's face. The shark-man brought Samehada up to block, and the kunai glanced off the large sword in a shower of sparks. A split second later Itachi sent the other kunai out in a low sweep, which would take off Kisame's legs at the knees if it connected. But he jumped in time, and Itachi snapped the kunai back into place before it continued circling too far to the right.

Itachi began a slow, methodical advance, staggering his attacks to keep Kisame on the defensive. He slashed high and low, his kunai barely visible except for glints of light. Kisame gave ground one step at a time, ducking, dodging and deflecting the attacks with Samehada. The _clang_ of metal meeting metal rang out repeatedly in the chamber, always followed by a burst of sparks.

Itachi planned to drive Kisame all the way back to the wall, where the Kiri shinobi would be much more limited in his ability to evade Itachi's attacks. But before they made it more than halfway across the floor, Kisame made his move.

Kisame dodged to the right, performing an acrobatic aerial somersault that allowed him to dodge the kunai sweeping low, while keeping him underneath the second kunai striking out at head level. Instead of deflecting the second kunai with Samehada, Kisame extended his sword further, past the kunai, arresting its moment and causing the wire to wrap itself around the blade.

Itachi had been aware of that possibility, and dropped the wire in his right hand just as Kisame gave a mighty pull. Instead of yanking Itachi off balance, Kisame only succeeded in gathering the rest of the ninja wire at his feet. He grunted with anger, and slashed the air with his sword. To Itachi's surprise, the teeth-like growths on the sword cut through the wire with ease. It seemed that even metal wire reinforced with chakra was no match for the power of Kisame's blade.

"Your buzzing is starting to irritate me," Kisame sneered. "Now I'm going to swat you like the insect you are."

He lunged toward Itachi, not allowing him time to attach another kunai to a wire. With only one weapon at hand, Itachi was forced to respond to Kisame's onslaught by giving ground himself. He retreated before the powerful attack, using his remaining kunai to make quick strikes designed to slow Kisame's onslaught by making him alter his swings to deflect them.

But Itachi knew that he was only delaying a close-quarters fight – sooner or later, he would have to hold off attacks from Samehada directly. And when that happened, his chakra would be depleted even more.

Itachi made the decision to retreat. It pissed him off, but if there was one thing that ANBU training had taught him, it was that the objective always comes before personal pride. The objective now was bringing the news about the Sanbi to Zabuza and the Rebellion. Every second that went by increased the risk not only that Kisame would land a finishing blow, but also that more shinobi might hear the battle and join the fight. Itachi was actually surprised that no one had come already – it wasn't like his fight with Kisame had been particularly quiet, after all. Maybe Kisame was just determined to take out Itachi by himself, and get all the glory from the Mizukage. If that was so, then Kisame was an idiot, but he was still a strong idiot. That was the final conclusion, then: Itachi needed to get the hell out.

Itachi's plan was simple and effective. He retreated even faster before Kisame's attack, wielding his flying kunai frantically to keep from coming to a close-quarters fight. Kisame attempted to do the same trick twice by wrapping the wire around Samehada's blade, but Itachi was careful not to allow that to happen. As he retreated, he maneuvered himself so that he was heading in the direction of the giant door.

When he was in position, his back directly facing the exit, he reversed direction suddenly and launched an attack at Kisame. It was so unexpected that it actually caused the shark-man to pause, angling Samehada a little to be ready to deflect Itachi's ill-advised attack. A smirk began on Kisame's face, as he watched Itachi begin a frontal assault with a vastly inferior weapon.

The smirk disappeared when Itachi dropped his wire and dug both hands into his belt pouch, bringing out two handfuls of kunai with exploding tags. These were all that Itachi had brought with him, so he couldn't afford for this to fail. He sent the four tagged kunai in his left hand at Kisame, the explosive tags burning down even as they flew through the air. The kunai in his right hand Itachi sent towards the ceiling, a few yards in front of the iron door at the entrance to the chamber.

The explosions went off simultaneously, and Itachi lost sight of Kisame in the blast of light. He turned his back on the chamber and put on a burst of speed to get through the iron door before the giant rocks his explosion had carved out of the ceiling fell to the floor. There was a roar of sound, and a rumbling that seemed to shake the very earth under Itachi's feet. Then the landslide finished, and the falling rocks completely sealed off the chamber with Kisame and the Sanbi inside.

Itachi was fairly sure that the tank would remain sealed. Even if the Sanbi awoke, the Mizukage had obviously expended a huge amount of power in keeping it contained. It would take Kisame a little while to clear the door, and by that time Itachi would be long gone.

Itachi reactivated his genjutsu, sure that now that he was beyond the chamber he didn't have to worry about chakra usage disturbing the Tailed Beast. He sped through the underground corridors, relying on his memory of the trip down to guide him.

As Itachi ran, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. After a second, he realized what it was. There were no shinobi here, none at all – even if Kisame had wanted to capture Itachi himself, surely he would have alerted someone that there was an intruder, just as a failsafe? Yet the underground tunnels were deserted. Itachi didn't meet a single soul all the way up to the entrance corridor, guarded by the two chunin who were as easily fooled by genjutsu as they had been the first time.

Even when Itachi had escaped from the Tower and was on his way to collect Haku and leave the village for good, he felt that something was wrong. Kisame had talked a big game, but he hadn't done much to prevent Itachi from escaping. It had, Itachi realized, been entirely too easy. And that made him very uneasy indeed.

oOoOo

The nine genin of Sandstorm stood opposite Sasuke, and an awkward silence stretched out between them. He didn't quite know what to make of these shinobi his own age. They seemed competent, especially the redheaded one who controlled sand. Although Sasuke would never admit it to these newcomers, he wasn't sure that the rebels would have been able to delay that lava technique. Without the shield of sand, they might have been done for.

What Sasuke couldn't figure out was what these shinobi were doing – were they mercenaries? They seemed far too young for that. Shinobi villages had genin and sometimes even chunin that young, but sending such a large force of youngsters into a territory as hostile as Kiri seemed a strange choice for any Kage to make.

The silence stretched out still more, no one sure what to say first. The Sandstorm jonin were talking with the Kanchiki and Zabuza, leaving them alone in the center of their makeshift camp.

Suddenly, Sasuke's summons Sevaron jumped off of his perch on Sasuke's shoulder. So much tension was in the air that a few of the Sandstorm genin jumped. But Sev wasn't making any threatening moves, and it became clear what his purpose was when he walked up to the little white hound standing next to a genin with fang tattoos on his cheeks.

"His name's Akamaru," the genin said slowly.

"Mind your own business," Sev snapped. "This is between me and four-legs over here."

The bat and the hound began to circle each other warily. Sasuke and the Sandstorm genin watched with interest.

"Listen, butt-sniffer," Sev said slowly, "this is my turf. Got it?"

Akamaru barked, and Sasuke thought that it sounded disdainful. Sev bristled with outrage.

"Oh yeah? I've eaten bigger things than you for breakfast!"

Akamaru very deliberately turned around, lifted his leg, and peed on the ground.

"That's it," Sev declared, stretching his wings out. "This means war!"

He launched himself at Akamaru, who turned around in time to meet Sev's attack. The two animals began rolling around, biting and pummeling each other with wings and paws.

Sasuke wanted to face-palm. Here he was trying to make a good impression and look cool, and Sevaron had to go pick a fight with a puppy! He spread his arms out helplessly, looking at the hound's owner.

"I'm sorry about that one," he said, pointing his finger at the shameless little bat. "Should I stop them?"

"Nah," the shinobi replied. "They're just getting acquainted. That's how they say hello."

The red-headed boy stepped forward, a small smile on his face. "That's normally how my friend says hello as well, but since we've only just met you we'll spare you that ordeal. It's nice to meet you - we're the agents of Sandstorm, from Sunagakure."

He shook Sasuke's hand, and the introductions commenced. As introductions went, however, they were fairly useless. Sasuke wasn't about to give his real name, and he was fairly sure that the names he was given were fake as well. Since it really didn't matter, though, he went along with it. Shinobi cooperation was extremely rare, and if keeping a few secrets made the process smoother, that was just fine by him.

Sasuke did notice that there were three very pretty kunoichi in Sandstorm, and made sure to give them his best smile. It hadn't been very long since he'd started being interested in girls, but when you spend most of your time out fighting with a bunch of rebels, you didn't want to miss any opportunity to socialize with the opposite sex. The oldest girl was fairly stand-offish, but the blond kunoichi with the purple outfit giggled shyly when he smiled at her.

"So why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

The redhead, who must have been the leader, responded, "A mission from our village. Our jonin-senseis told me that I could share that information. We were trying to get news of whatever civil disturbance was happening, and bring it back to the Kazekage."

"Well, I'd say you found what you came for," Sasuke laughed. "If the rebellion doesn't count as a 'civil disturbance,' I don't know what would. Does that mean you'll be leaving soon?"

"Probably. We're just waiting on orders from our senseis, but I'm guessing that they'll want to head back. Our teammates with injuries have recovered enough to travel, so there's nothing keeping us here."

"You might have a little bit of a wait," Sasuke pointed out. "Zabuza and the Kanchiki are going to have a lot of questions for your senseis."

He grinned widely, shooting a challenging glance at all of the Sandstorm genin. "Anyone want to spar while we wait?"

oOoOo

Zabuza and Sasuke approached the rendezvous point, alert for any traps. The farm was even more derelict than Zabuza remembered it, and there was no sign of life other than a few birds and insects. They snuck up to the front of the fire-damaged barn, and prepared themselves to wait.

"Your gods-cursed brother is late," Zabuza snarled to Sasuke. His nerves were on edge, what with the recent revelations about the Tserumi clan. If a little voice told him that he was also worried about Haku; well, it was a _very _little voice, and easily ignored.

"He'll be here." Sasuke seemed confident, so much so that it aggravated Zabuza still more. "He's probably right next to us, but we're caught in his genjutsu so we don't know."

"_What?_" Zabuza hastily suppressed his chakra, dispelling any genjutsu techniques that might be acting on his brain, and then scanned the surroundings once again. Nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had promised himself before not to let Itachi get the best of him with his mind-bending tricks.

A voice came floating out of the woods, emotionless and familiar. "I'm glad you still have such faith in my abilities, Sasuke. Unfortunately, I just got back from Kiri, and I didn't have time to do a proper stake-out of the area."

Sasuke gave a happy shout as Itachi came out of the woods like a ghost, Haku close at his side. Zabuza stared at the two of them, and felt a funny tightness in his chest. Was it… happiness? He covered it up by scowling even more fiercely.

"What took you?" he snarled. "All this waiting is going to turn my hair white."

"Just a second," Itachi said, holding up a hand. "Just for security purposes, I need to make sure you're really Zabuza, and not an imposter. What do you call me besides my name?"

Zabuza shrugged. "What, you mean 'arrogant ass?' Or one of the more colorful ones? I've got more."

Itachi smiled slowly. "That's quite all right. I'm sure that if you were tortured and replaced by a copycat, they wouldn't think to ask you for that information."

"Show some faith, would you?" Zabuza replied, a little stung. "I'm the Demon of the Bloody Mist, after all. The babe hasn't been born in Kirigakure that could grow up to defeat me. But now it's your turn. Why were you injured during the fight in which you bested me?"

Zabuza had gotten quite a kick out of hearing that a twelve-year-old had landed a hit on Itachi, even if it had been a lucky shot. But Itachi did not react to the jibe.

"I was injured by Naruto, the jinchuriki of Konoha," he said.

Zabuza shrugged. "That's good enough for me. I'm me, and you're you, and we've got business to attend to." He gestured at Haku. "What about you, Haku? Have you forgotten your real master while working with this snake in the grass?"

For a second, an ember of doubt flared up inside. Perhaps Haku really would prefer to stay with Itachi…

But Haku merely shook his head. "Of course not, Zabuza-sama." He walked over to Zabuza, taking his place by his side. Sasuke took a moment to hug his brother, which caused Itachi to roll his eyes. Zabuza, acting on a whim he didn't really understand, ruffled Haku's hair with his right hand.

"It's good to have you back," Zabuza said gruffly. "That idiot Sasuke is practically useless. I had to do all the heavy lifting while you were gone."

"Hey!" Sasuke yelled, outraged. "I kicked ass with the rebels and you know it!" Sasuke turned excitedly to Itachi. "I picked up some new techniques while you were away. And I'll need to introduce you to Sevaron. He says he's tired of hearing me talk about you, so he wants to meet you for himself."

"Later, if that's all right," Itachi responded. "Time grows short, and I have much to tell."

Zabuza grunted. "You and me both, buddy."

Itachi led them to the circle of stumps in front of the main farmhouse. This was where, two months ago, they had given the orders that had set the rebellion in motion. Things were finally coming full circle. "You start," Itachi said, holding out a hand in invitation.

Zabuza sat down on one of the stumps, hoisting his sword over one shoulder. "Don't mind if I do. I don't know if you were aware, but the Mizukage sent out a strike force of elite shinobi to track us down. They were on our trail for the past few weeks."

"I heard him give the order, actually," Itachi said. "Tserumi Mei was in charge. I hoped that with the Kanchiki's help, you'd be able to evade Mei and her dogs."

"We did for a while." Zabuza gave a disgusted snort. "But then we decided to come to the aid of a few strangers, and so we came face-to-face with Mei. Turns out the Mizukage is more than just a butcher with a hatred for all genetic abilities. He's got one himself – a kekkei genkai, that is."

Zabuza rarely got to enjoy the feeling of putting one over on Itachi. So this time, he let himself fully enjoy the shocked expression on the rogue Uchiha's face.

"A kekkei genkai?" Itachi breathed. "That… is interesting."

That's an understatement." Zabuza gave a pained laugh, remembering how Mei had almost obliterated a large portion of the Rebellion with a single attack. "She revealed her ability during our fight, and thanks to the strangers we rescued we were actually able to escape."

"I'll get to these strangers later," Itachi said. "It sounds like there's more to their story. But what's important right now is this hidden kekkei genkai. If Mei has it, then Masanori must have it too. That's how a genetic trait works. Which means…"

Zabuza continued the thought for him. "Which means that all this time, when Masanori was persecuting clans for possessing kekkei genkai, he had one himself."

Itachi was nodding slowly, processing. "It… makes sense, in a way. To a paranoid mind, a source of power is something one does not want to share. By eliminating kekkei genkai from Water Country, Masanori ensured that no one might arise who could challenge his power."

"So he weakened his country to strengthen his control over it. What a pathetic person," Zabuza said.

"He's a pathetic person with the reins of power firmly in hand," Itachi pointed out. "Which brings me to my information. Very soon, we're going to be cut off from the sea, and trapped inside Water Country."

Zabuza and Sasuke were astonished. Itachi proceeded to explain.

"It's called the Mistring. It's a barrier of corrosive mist that will enclose the entire island, keeping us from retreating. Masanori means to activate it, and then lead the army in search of us."

Zabuza thought about the implications – they were all bad. If Masanori mobilized Kiri's army and led them in search of the Rebellion, things would go very badly indeed for Zabuza's forces. They were vastly outnumbered, and if Masanori was even half as strong as Mei, he would be a formidable fighter indeed.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

Itachi nodded. "Yes. In fact, it's become even clearer now that I know about Masanori's kekkei genkai. Because now, I know what he's going to do. Once Mei reports back to her father, he will immediately activate the Mistring. How could he not? He knows that there is an entire rebel force that knows his secret. He knows that we're going to spread the news to every corner of the world, proclaiming his hypocrisy. His only chance is to contain us, to trap us on the island, and to wipe us out as soon as possible. But once he leads the army outside of the village, the village itself will be vulnerable. That's where we'll strike."

"But if Masanori's not there," Zabuza asked, confused, "then what point is there in attacking the village?"

"That's where we can disable the Mistring," Itachi said. "Masanori has trapped a Tailed Beast, and uses its chakra to generate power for the Mistring. With enough time near the apparatus that keeps it contained, I can disrupt the power flow and shut off the Mistring."

"They have a _Tailed Beast_, and they're using it as a _battery?_" Zabuza gasped.

Itachi smiled at his astonishment. "I had the same thought. But I suppose Masanori feels safer using the Sanbi as part of his national security, rather than placing it in a human vessel that might become unstable."

Zabuza thought he saw a flaw in the plan. "But if the Sanbi is so vital to Masanori's trap, won't he leave it protected? And once he knows that we're targeting it, won't he turn his army right around and trap us in the village?"

"Yes to both questions. We'll have to be prepared to overcome any force that Masanori leaves behind as a defense. Also, we'll have to commit most of our forces in the Rebellion to leading the Kiri army as far away from the village as possible. The Kanchiki clan are going to need to become wraiths in truth, in order to stall the army until we've disabled the Mistring. Can they do that?"

Zabuza thought for a minute. He'd fought alongside the Kanchiki for weeks now, and he knew their abilities as well as he knew his own or Sasuke's. They might be able to do it… if they got lucky.

"If Masanori ever brought the battle to close quarters, they'd be finished," he warned.

"That's a chance I think we have to take," Itachi said. "The longer the Mistring stays up, the less likely it is that we'll be able to evade Kiri's army. Not only that, but every day with the Mistring increases the toxicity of the water sources. People will start to die, and food will grow scarce. We have to end this now."

Zabuza faced this grim prophecy without flinching. "Then I'll tell the Kanchiki. I'll only take volunteers, though. Anyone who wants to sit this one out will go back to the underground caves and wait for the all-clear."

A thought struck Zabuza, a thought which was so appealing that he broke into a wide grin. "Say, Itachi," he declared, "I think I know where we might find a few more volunteers for our game of cat and mouse with Masanori. Remember those strangers I told you about, the ones we helped against Mei's strike force? Turns out they're a group of scouts from Sunagakure. They want to report to the Kazekage as quickly as possible about the Civil War. Too bad about this Mistring, isn't it? They won't be able to leave until Masanori takes it down."

Itachi saw where he was going immediately. "You want to recruit them?"

"It should be easy," Zabuza responded with a shrug. "They want to get home. They can't unless we bring down the Mistring. We have what they need. Not only that, but if we win this Civil War they have everything to gain. Masanori has always been paranoid and unfriendly. But if they help us and we win the war, then we owe Suna a debt. And if they help us and we lose, they still leave as soon as the Mistring is down, and Masanori doesn't know who they are so relations with Suna wouldn't get worse. Helping us is entirely in their interest."

Itachi seemed to agree. "I'll leave that task to you. I fear my face is a little too well-known in various Bingo Books, and I'd prefer to keep my location from making its way back to Madara's eyes and ears."

"So we're agreed." Zabuza rubbed his hands together with anticipation. "The Suna force will team up with the rebels and keep the army as far from the village as possible. I'll send the bats with them, to give them an added advantage in staying one step ahead."

Zabuza realized that this was the second time he'd managed to shock Itachi in a single conversation. This time Itachi cocked his head to one side, and raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Bats?"

Zabuza shrugged, enjoying the feeling of knowing something Itachi didn't. "We've been busy since we saw you last. Got a few allies of the winged variety."

"I heard rumors that you were fighting with monsters," Itachi said, "but I dismissed it as mere gossip stretched over many retellings."

"I wouldn't call Lord Sevaroth a monster to his face," Sasuke warned. "He might not take it kindly."

Itachi looked at Sasuke with surprise, and seemed as if he was evaluating something. "I'll keep that in mind," he said at last.

"Moving back to our plan," Zabuza said, "the four of us will infiltrate the village, find the Sanbi, and deactivate the Mistring. Is that about it?"

"Yes," Itachi nodded. "The four of us should be enough to take on whatever rear guard Masanori leaves behind."

With a plan in mind, Zabuza felt much more at ease. He could only hope that Mei would stay behind with the rear guard – he had unfinished business with her.

oOoOo

Mei kneeled before her father in his study. Masanori was livid with rage, and even in his old age his fury was impressive to behold.

"I'm sorry, Father," she said again, her head bowed. "They managed to escape, and I had to return because of the time limit you gave me."

"And the Kanchiki are still _alive?_" Masanori had almost had an apoplectic fit when he heard that. The first clan of Water Country, all of whom he had thought safely dead, were not only alive but helping Zabuza with his rebellion. Things were fast spiraling out of control, and if Mei had learned one thing about her father over the years, it was that he liked to have control.

Masanori took a few deep breaths, barely reigning in his anger. "There is nothing else to be done," he said at last. "We must raise the Mistring. Kisame, you will mobilize the army."

The Kiri jonin was also kneeling, a few feet to the left of Mei and in front of the Mizukage's desk. He bowed his head lower. "It shall be done. Will you lead them?"

"No," Masanori replied. "I will stay here to oversee the Mistring. You will as well."

"Then am I to lead the army?" Mei asked hopefully. This was her chance to bring the battle to a quick end, and hopefully wipe out a little of her shame in the process.

But Masanori shook his head. "No. You will stay here."

Mei was confused. If not her, Kisame, or Masanori, who would lead the army? Her father had other skilled jonin, but none he trusted as he did the two of them.

"You're missing the point," Masanori said. "But then, I haven't briefed you on what Kisame told me. While you were away, a solitary shinobi made his way all the way down to the Sanbi's chamber."

"_What?_" Mei was appalled. The Sanbi was perhaps the single most important military secret that Kirigakure possessed. How could her father say that someone had discovered it so calmly?

"Not only did he find it, he escaped," Masanori went on without breaking his calm demeanor. "At first, I was very angry with Kisame."

Kisame bowed lower, but Mei thought that she saw a glint of amusement in the shark-man's eyes.

"But then," Masanori went on, "I realized the opportunity that now presents itself. This shinobi was doubtless part of the Rebellion. This means that they know all about the Mistring, and they know their only hope of disabling it is to break into the Sanbi's chamber once again. When I send out the army, they will believe that I have left Kirigakure unguarded."

Mei could see the sense in his plan. It was an elaborate trap, but the bait was good – the rebels must know that there was no escape so long as the Mistring was active. "So," she said, "you'll give the army orders to turn around, and trap the rebels within the city?"

But Masanori shook his head once again. "No. I want the army as far away from the village as possible. I want the rebels to think that they can invade the village and get away cleanly. Because once they are inside the village walls, their doom is sealed."

"What?" Mei asked. "I don't understand."

"The Mistring is only the first line of defense powered by the Sanbi." Masanori let out a short laugh, and a maniacal light gleamed in his eyes. "The second is a last resort, meant only for times when the village itself is under attack by a superior force. All along the walls, there is a barrier that will activate at my command. It seals everything inside the village. Then we flood every inch of the village with poison mist. Only the shinobi inside my Tower will be safe. Everything outside, every rebel soldier, will die."

Mei gasped, finally realizing the pure horror of her father's plan. "You mean to kill them all… but what about the civilians?"

"Acceptable losses," Masanori shrugged. "A small price to pay to wipe out the Rebellion once and for all."

"No!" Mei yelled, forgetting herself in her outrage. "You can't do that! We have a duty to protect these people!"

Masanori exploded with rage, slamming his hand down on his desk. "I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT!" Spit flew from his lips and his eyes held Mei's in thrall.

Then, suddenly, he calmed down, seeming to deflate before her eyes. "These are my orders. What do you say, daughter? Are you with me? Or against me?"


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **Here it is: the final chapter of the Rebellion. I'll admit that I was a little dismayed at how many people seem unwilling to stay with the story when it doesn't focus on Naruto. I hope that's because of strong personal preferences, and not a drop in the over-all quality of the story. At any rate, Naruto will be back starting next chapter.

For those of you who have been following this arc, there's a very big plot twist at the end, which will lead to some significant changes for Kirigakure in the future. Also, thanks to all of you reviewers – Rise of the Uchiha has passed the **500-review **mark, which is unbelievable. This story is for all of you!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 27**

The genin and jonin of Sandstorm were gathered in a loose circle, worried expressions on all of their faces. Kakashi had just met with Zabuza, and the news from the missing-nin was bleak. The worst was the Mistring, which was an unwelcome surprise even to the jonin.

Baki stared stonily around the circle, baldly stating their situation. "We're trapped. Until the Mizukage lowers the Mistring, we can't so much as leave the country, let alone report to the Kazekage. And after we helped Zabuza and his rebels escape, we're sure to be on Masanori's list of wanted criminals. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place, and Zabuza knows it."

It was the custom of Sandstorm to allow for informal discussion before giving out orders. The Kazekage wasn't generally one to explain anything to his inferiors, but Baki felt that the shinobi under his command fought better when they understood the purpose behind their orders. That was his approach when dealing with Sandstorm, and it usually worked. Not that he had to worry – Shikamaru usually knew more about the reasons behind certain orders than even the jonin sensei.

The genius spoke up first, comfortable in his unofficial role as the group's strategist. "Is he offering us a way out?"

Baki nodded, grimacing a little at Zabuza's way of phrasing things. "You could call it that. He wants us to fight with his rebels against the entire Kiri army."

Even though the genin were normally models of discipline, this news was too much for them to bear quietly. Voices rose in opposition, Kankuro and Kiba's among the loudest.

"Isn't that tantamount to suicide?" Shino asked quietly. "Kiri's forces are strong, and even with Zabuza's rebels we wouldn't stand a chance in a pitched battle."

Temari felt the same, and pointed out another important complication. "Not to mention that if Kiri finds out we're from Suna, it would be tantamount to a declaration of war."

Shikamaru looked disgusted. "That's the problem of getting tangled up in a civil war. If you don't fight with one side against the other, both will declare you the enemy."

Kakashi frowned, his brow furrowing in concentration. "It may actually be too late for that. We've committed an act of war against the Mizukage's daughter, and thanks to Gaara's sand they may already have identified us. We don't know the extent of their information regarding Suna, remember."

Baki decided to share Zabuza's trump card with them. "Zabuza is going to risk everything in a sneak attack on Kirigakure. He's targeting the power source of the Mistring – he says he knows what it is, but he won't share that information unless we help. That's what he's offering us: the ability to leave Water Country as soon as he brings down the Mistring. Our job will be keeping the Army busy enough that they don't have time to turn around and make back it Kiri before he succeeds in disabling the barrier."

Asuma took an extra-long drag of his cigarette, sighing heavily. "And all we have to do is trust him not mess it up. Meanwhile, we're in unfamiliar territory with every shinobi Kiri can muster breathing down our necks. I've been in tight spots before, but this is something else."

"Why can't we just sit this one out?" Sakura asked reasonably. "I mean, Zabuza is going to try to bring down the Mistring no matter what we do. Couldn't we stay neutral and wait it out? If Zabuza succeeds we can leave anyway, and if he fails we're no worse off than we were."

Baki shook his head regretfully. "Zabuza won't take the chance that we might side against the Rebellion in the hopes that the Mizukage will pardon us. It's understandable; a lot of the Rebels wanted to slit our throats just to avoid the chance that we might betray them, and Zabuza has at least trusted us enough to offer us this opportunity."

Kakashi cocked his head, thinking hard. "This does have the potential to be extremely good for us. Let's assume that Zabuza wins this war. Then he's the new Mizukage, and we will be at least partially responsible for his position. That means that Kiri's relationship with Suna would improve drastically. We have the opportunity to bring a powerful ally to our side."

"Again," Baki said, "it all hangs on whether we believe that Zabuza and his rebels can pull this off."

"Have you seen his strike force?" Kakashi asked. He was curious, especially after having seen the young boy fighting alongside Zabuza and the rebels. He couldn't have been older than the Konoha orphans or Gaara, yet he'd been as skilled, and possibly more so, than any of them. Kakashi wondered whether the rest of the shinobi who would infiltrate Kiri with Zabuza were equally as mysterious.

Baki shook his head. "Nope. He wouldn't let me – said that secrets were indispensable whenever shinobi cooperated, and that we'd just have to trust him. He made sure to point out that he would be trusting us as well; that is, trusting us not to turn on the rebels in the field, or betray them to Kiri."

"The risk isn't that great," Asuma pointed out. "If we tried to betray the Kanchiki, we'd probably get wiped out before the forces of Kiri could help us. We're outnumbered and they know the terrain better than we could ever hope to. Plus, I don't like the look of those vampire bats fighting with the rebels. I get the feeling that they would sniff out any attempt at betrayal before we even decided to try anything."

Shikamaru abruptly yawned, stretching his arms overhead. "I don't know why we're still discussing this," he said. "We only have one option, and that's to fight for Zabuza and hope he can disable the Mistring. If we don't, we risk having to fight our way free of both the rebels and the Kiri army, and we'd still be trapped in the country because of the Mistring. We wouldn't last a week."

"That's essentially the conclusion I'd come to," Baki agreed. "But getting maneuvered into such a decision by Zabuza doesn't sit well with me at all."

Kakashi gave a snort of amusement. "I don't think he cares, as long as he gets our cooperation. But we stand to gain much more than our lives if we take his offer. If the rebels win, we would forge an alliance between two of the major shinobi villages. That would only help us down the road."

Asuma flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, where it fizzled slowly and died out. "Then we're agreed. Although it's patently insane, we'll be the bait for Kiri's army. Damn it, this was supposed to be simple reconnaissance mission! When did everything start going to hell?"

Kiba gave Asuma a mocking smile. "Sounds like you're getting soft, sensei! Where's your sense of adventure? This'll be fun!"

There were a lot of words that described what they were about to do: foolhardy, dangerous, possibly even insane. But Kakashi didn't think anyone could possibly describe the upcoming chase as _fun_.

oOoOo

Sasuke let out a happy sigh. "Isn't this fun, Itachi? I mean, having all four of us back together again. The whole gang." He gestured at Zabuza and Haku, who were ignoring him completely and watching the walls of Kirigakure for any signs of movement.

"Yes," Itachi answered dryly. "Words cannot express how delighted I am to be reunited with my scapegrace younger brother." But Itachi's hand ruffled Sasuke's hair quickly, giving the lie to his sarcastic words.

"Hey, what about us?" Sevaron complained, digging his talons a little deeper into Sasuke's shoulder. "We're part of the gang, too!"

Lord Sevaroth sent a disapproving glance towards his rambunctious son. "Speak for yourself, young one. I am part of no one's _gang_. I am simply here to offer help in case of serious opposition."

Zabuza took a second to look away from the walls. "And we're grateful to you for the help," he said sincerely. "There's no telling what kind of traps Masanori might have left here, or how many guards he's left behind."

The four shinobi, together with the two vampire bats, were waiting outside the village walls. It was three days since they'd secured the help of the shinobi from Suna, and two days since the Kiri army had left the security of the village. Zabuza had learned from his informants that the Mistring had sprung up around the entire country, formed by a corrosive mist that emanated from lodestones buried underground. Apparently the whole thing was a masterpiece of Sealing jutsus used to anchor the deadly mist. You couldn't even venture into it with an oxygen mask, because the mist would eat right through the mask, and flesh as well.

Now the time had come to deal a decisive blow to Kirigakure's defenses. If all went well, the Mistring would be permanently disabled, and the Rebellion would be that much closer to success. First, however, they had to get inside.

From his wanderings while living in the village, Itachi knew the perfect spot to cross the wall. It was far from both the village entrance and the Mizukage's Tower, and the streets were small and narrow, the better to keep them out of sight. Itachi cloaked all six of their band in a powerful genjutsu, and once they had determined that there were no guards in sight, they approached the outer wall with caution.

It was a matter of the utmost simplicity to walk up the outer wall, anchoring themselves with chakra. Sevaron kept a tight grip on Sasuke's shoulder, while Lord Sevaroth simply flew to the top, trusting to Itachi's genjutsu to keep him from sight. They descended from the wall with all possible haste, sneaking into a maze of dark streets with plenty of shadows in which to hide.

As he followed Itachi through the village streets, Sasuke reflected that a shinobi village without shinobi was quite a strange place. It was almost as if they were walking through a ghost town. The villagers were nowhere to be found – perhaps, Sasuke thought, they knew instinctively that this was a bad time to be wandering about in broad daylight.

There was a small force of shinobi in the marketplace, just enough to maintain a visible presence. Sasuke guessed that things would be the same on the wall. Masanori couldn't leave his village completely undefended, but with his borders closed and the rebels in his sights he wasn't as concerned about keeping his stronghold safe from invaders. Sasuke hoped that the Mizukage would come to regret his overconfidence.

Soon enough, Itachi brought them within view of the Mizukage's Tower. It was there, in the open area just in front of the main entrance, that they encountered a most unwelcome sight. Tserumi Mei was standing in front of the door, next to a pair of chunin guards that kept shooting glances at her that changed from admiring to fearful and back again.

"Damn," Zabuza whispered. "Masanori was more cautious than we thought – he left her here in case we marched on the village."

Sasuke looked to Itachi, his brother's calm making Sasuke feel a little more reassured. "What should we do?"

But Itachi didn't get a chance to answer. Zabuza cut him off, his jaw set and a hard light in his eyes. "I have unfinished business with this bitch. Itachi, take your fancy genjutsu and circle in around the Tower. You'll have to begin work on the Mistring alone, but don't worry – I'll be along shortly."

Itachi nodded silently, and motioned at Sasuke to withdraw. Haku was as still as a statue, frozen in position at Zabuza's side. Zabuza spared a second to glance at his diminutive shadow. "You've been skulking in the shadows with Uchiha for quite a while. You sure you're up for this?"

"I go where you do, Zabuza-sama," Haku replied simply.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear." They approached the Tower slowly, settling into the perfectly balanced walk of predators stalking their prey. After a second, Lord Sevaroth came after them, walking with a waddling gait that nevertheless managed to seem menacing. Zabuza brought his hands together and formed the seal that would dispel Itachi's genjutsu, but Mei had already stiffened, her senses informing her of their approach. "Release!" Zabuza, Haku and Lord Sevaroth winked into existence, visible to the unaided eye. The chunin guards next to Mei gave shouts of surprise as they noticed the new threat.

"Silence," Mei ordered. "Go inside and inform Kisame about the intruders. There will be more attempting to infiltrate the Tower. Go quickly!"

The chunin guards scurried inside like frightened rats, leaving Mei alone at her post.

"Hello Mei," Zabuza called out as if greeting an old friend. "It's good to see you again. I'll forgive you for trying to kill me before, seeing as how I'm going to do the same to you. I'm curious, though – why did the old man leave both you and Kisame here? Did he not trust you with the army?"

Mei ignored him, her face taking on an expression that Zabuza couldn't quite understand. "Where are the rest of your forces?" she demanded. As she spoke her voice rose in pitch, indicating emotional turmoil that Zabuza didn't understand.

"What do you mean, the rest?" Zabuza laughed. "There's just me, the kid and the bat. More than enough to take you out."

Lord Sevaroth gave Zabuza a quelling look with one red pupil. "I would prefer not to be referred to as 'the bat,' if you would be so kind."

Zabuza bowed without taking his eyes off of Mei. "My apologies. Me, the kid, and his Lordship. Now tell me, Mei – are you ready to die?"

Strangely enough, Mei began to look hopeful. "If I kill you here, he won't activate the defense," she whispered. She didn't give Zabuza time to make sense of her cryptic statement, instead attacking immediately by sending a wave of lava through the air.

Zabuza and Haku retreated before the technique, while Lord Sevaroth took wing and escaped into the air. The cobblestones melted into slag after coming into contact with the super-heated lava, making the very ground a trap to catch them.

"What, no preliminary banter?" Zabuza asked. "All right, if that's the way you want it."

He took out a Sealing Scroll and unrolled it, bit his thumb and smeared a bit of blood in the middle of the sealing circle. A deluge of water came pouring out of the scroll, quickly filling the street around him.

"I came prepared, you see," Zabuza called out to Mei. "Your little lava trick is impressive, but with enough water I can neutralize it."

He began shaping the water, controlling it as he shaped his chakra. He sent much of the water toward the street in front of Mei, which was now a glowing bed of lava. The water hit the lava, creating a cloud of steam that hissed violently upward. Zabuza's attack neutralized the effects of Mei's area attack, while generating a screen of steam every bit as effective as mist for hiding their movements. Lord Sevaroth attacked from above, using his acute senses to zero in on Mei while using the hissing steam to hide him from view until the last moment. He swooped in like a bolt of black lightning, swift, silent and deadly.

But Mei was unfazed. She exhaled once more, sending another cloud of lava into the air. Lord Sevaroth was forced to swerve away, gaining altitude for another go. The lava settled to the ground, and once again Zabuza called water from his sealing scroll to cool the ground.

"You know the great thing about water," Zabuza said conversationally as he used his jutsu like a fireman's hose, "is that it's so easily manipulated. All those little water particles are just waiting for someone with the ability to make use of them."

"What's your point?" Mei snarled, still searching the sky for the next aerial attack.

"My point is that I have yet to introduce you to Haku. He's one of those people you've spent your life trying to hunt down and kill. He's also very talented when it comes to manipulating water. Now, Haku!"

Haku activated his kekkei genkai and used the water in the air to create giant spears of ice, which he sent flying in a volley towards Mei. She dodged them one by one, but she didn't unleash her lava to melt them. This showed that she understood the implications of Haku's ability – his kekkei genkai relied on fused chakra, just as hers did. To melt Haku's ice, she would need to expend chakra equal to or greater than the strength of his technique. But Haku had a water source for his technique, drastically lowering the amount of energy he had to expend to create new ice. Zabuza kept bringing more water from his scroll, which had required a chakra-sharing jutsu powered by the entire Kanchiki clan. Zabuza could call on the water of an entire underground lake before the scroll would run dry. Haku would have all the ice he needed, while Mei would have to use her own chakra to create lava hot enough to melt his ice.

For a while it seemed that they had the advantage. Haku pushed himself to the utmost of his ability, moving so fast that even Zabuza had trouble following him in motion. He flitted from rooftop to rooftop, sending an endless barrage of ice spears at Mei. Every time she tried to zero in on him, Lord Sevaroth swooped down from the sky, trying to rake her with his claws and shooting concentrated sonic blasts through the air. Zabuza did his part by raising large waterfalls in the shape of dragons, trying to hem her in. In order to avoid them, Mei had to call on her lava, which only generated more steam to cover the battlefield.

Zabuza was beginning to feel confident, when Mei began to laugh. The sound made the back of Zabuza's neck prickle uncomfortably.

"A sound strategy," she said with amusement, "but you've played right into my hands. You thought that covering the battlefield with steam would make it harder for me to kill you – quite the contrary. What water is to your young friend, steam is to me. I can power my kekkei genkai for hours with all the steam you've created, and not expend a fraction of the chakra I would otherwise."

"What are you talking about?" Zabuza snapped. "Steam won't help you generate lava!"

"Oh, how rude of me, I must have forgotten to tell you. The Tserumi clan has two kekkei genkai. One is Lava Release, while the other…" Mei grinned, enjoying Zabuza's sudden discomfiture. "The other is called Boil Release, for reasons which will soon become obvious."

Without even needing hand seals, Mei exerted her will on the steam that covered the battlefield. It darkened from white to a sickly green color, and suddenly Zabuza and Haku were surrounded by a dark cloud of corrosive mist, which extended hungry tendrils intent on enveloping them within.

Zabuza was overcome with anger at the universe's cruel sense of humor. "_Two_ kekkei genkai? That's just unfair!"

oOoOo

Sasuke and Itachi raced through the Mizukage's Tower, relying on Itachi's genjutsu to keep them safe from detection. He led them safely through corridors he had navigated twice before, and soon they were running through the underground passages.

"I hope they've fixed the mess I made the last time around," Itachi whispered to Sasuke. "I don't want to have to dig through rubble to get to the Sanbi's chamber."

But when they reached the iron door, there was no sign of the rock slide Itachi had caused when escaping from Kisame. Everything was pristine – or at least, as pristine as an underground chamber hewn from rock could ever be. Itachi noticed that the jutsu keeping the door sealed had been changed, but he was able to reconstruct it once again, thanks to his sharingan. Sasuke could only watch in mute envy. He was years away from obtaining such complete control over his ability.

"Be careful," Itachi warned as they were about to enter. "There may be alarms around. We can't risk having to fight anyone before I get a chance to figure out how the Mistring works."

But Itachi needn't have bothered cautioning Sasuke, because when they entered the chamber it was already occupied. Standing in front of the Sanbi's cage, looking like an ant at the feet of an elephant, was Kisame. However, never had an ant looked as threatening as the Kiri shinobi, who stood with his back to the door.

Itachi realized there was one other person in the chamber, standing in an alcove by the far wall, in the heart of the maze of tubes and wires that fed into the Sanbi's giant aquarium. A cold flash of dismay struck Itachi as he recognized the second shinobi – it was Masanori. But if Mei, Masanori and Kisame were all here, that meant…

"You've figured it out by now, haven't you?" Kisame's voice echoed eerily in the chamber, and the Kiri nin finally turned around to face the intruders. "We knew you would come."

Masanori extricated himself from the clutches of what looked like a control center, and joined Kisame in front of the Sanbi's cage. Unlike before, the Tailed Beast was awake, and it was angry. But though it's mouth was open, no sound escaped the sealed tank. The glass walls glowed slightly, and the bright flow of the Sanbi's chakra could be seen shining through the tubes attached to the outside of the aquarium.

"You are moths drawn to the flame," Masanori declared, "and you shall meet the same end. My only regret is that you did not bring your pitiful excuse for a Rebellion with you. I shall have to be satisfied with killing you. My daughter will bring me Zabuza's head, and the rebels will crawl back into their caves. My triumph is near!"

"Unless we kill you here," Itachi said dryly. "Sasuke, can you believe our luck? We meant to destroy the Mistring, and instead we get to kill the Mizukage. Won't Zabuza be jealous."

"He most certainly will." Sasuke dropped into a ready stance, his nerves quivering with anticipation. He could already tell that he was out of his league – Kisame had fought head-to-head with Itachi, and Masanori was a Kage. In all probability Sasuke wouldn't last a second. But he had never been one to worry about the odds. Itachi was relying on him, and Sasuke would never let him down. "Should we use our, um… _visual aids_?" he asked, hoping that Itachi would consider this to be enough of an emergency to warrant using their sharingan.

Itachi gave him an appraising nod. "Yes, I think this situation calls for rather extreme measures."

Masanori began to cackle, the madness in his voice coming dangerously close to the surface. "Listen to the two of you carry on, as if you actually thought you had a chance to survive! It's been quite a long time since I've had to kill anyone personally, but with you two I'll enjoy it."

He spread his arms wide, and a sea of lava appeared in the air around him. It spread in a wide circle, extending to the walls and circling around, until the two sides met in front of the iron door. A living barrier of lava encircled Itachi and Sasuke, cutting them off from any avenue of escape.

Itachi nodded to Sasuke. "I think now might be a good time to start." He turned to Masanori and took a step forward, the searing heat from the surrounding lava not fazing him in the least. "You underestimate us at your peril, Masanori the Cruel. We have fought a far more powerful Kage than you, and survived."

With that, the Uchiha brothers activated their sharingan. The effect on Masanori was immediate and striking. He fell back a step, his jaw dropping. In that moment, Kisame struck. He drew Samehada with speed equal to Itachi at his fastest, and lunged – but not at Itachi or Sasuke.

Samehada sank deeply into Masanori's stomach, its teeth-like appendages ripping deep gashes along the edges of the main wound. Masanori let out a scream of pain, looking as shocked as Sasuke felt. But to Itachi, Kisame's action seemed almost expected. He merely watched expectantly as Kisame withdrew his sword. Masanori's wound was terrible, Samehada's wrath laying waste to his entire midsection. Kisame looked down at the Kage he had betrayed, his face as expressionless as Itachi's.

Masanori's eyes filled with an impotent rage. "Kisame… why?" he demanded, forcing the air through failing lungs.

"For Kirigakure," Kisame answered. "You weaken the village to hold on to your power. But the world is changing, and we must change with it. Kiri must take its place on the world stage. We need a ruler capable of commanding respect, not just fear. You would keep our village stuck in the past, worshiping you like a god, while the other villages race ahead in size and power. I will not let that happen."

Sasuke looked at Kisame to Itachi, and back again. Itachi was looking too calm, even for him. It couldn't be…

"Did you plan this?" he demanded suspiciously.

Itachi shook his head. "No. I merely suspected. When Kisame let me go so easily, without even notifying other shinobi that there was an intruder in the Tower, I thought that his loyalty to Masanori was weakening. When I saw the two of them together, I hoped that if he was given the opportunity, Kisame might act."

Kisame looked away from his dying Kage to stare at Itachi and Sasuke. "I'll give you credit – that was quite the distraction. I pride myself on letting nothing catch me by surprise, but finding out that the renegade Uchiha brothers were behind this rebellion was not something I expected."

"Neither did Masanori," Itachi responded, "and that was the point. I thank you for the service you have rendered the Rebellion, but I'm going to have to ask you to surrender your sword and consider yourself a prisoner until such time as the next Mizukage decides what to do with you."

Kisame was opening his mouth to respond, when Masanori's harsh laughter cut him off. "Fools!" the Mizukage rasped. "You think you've won, but the joke is on you! Once I die, the seal keeping the Sanbi restrained will disappear. All of Kirigakure will fall before it! I will see you… at the gates of hell…"

In the chamber that had grown suddenly silent, the Third Mizukage breathed his last. Itachi glanced at Kisame, wordlessly asking him whether the Mizukage's declaration was true. The Kiri shinobi's dismayed expression was all the confirmation they needed.

In its cage, suspended far above their heads, the Sanbi suddenly froze. It shifted slightly, as if testing its range of motion. Then it opened its gaping maw and roared with rage. This time, the sound flooded the chamber with raw, unfiltered fury. And Sasuke, who had been dreading a fight against a Kage-level shinobi, was now inclined to think that fighting Masanori might not have been so bad after all…

oOoOo

Adding another kekkei genkai tipped the scales of battle completely in Mei's favor. She hounded Zabuza and Haku through the streets with her area-effect attacks, keeping Sevaroth from coming to their aid by blanketing the air with her corrosive mist. They were completely on the defensive – whenever Zabuza or Haku used water to counter the lava, Mei simply took control of the mist with her Boil Release and pursued them again. After she succeeded in cutting them off from any avenue of retreat, it was only a matter of time.

In the end, it was the cry of the Sanbi that saved them. The roar of the Tailed Beast, though faint and far away, caused Mei to falter for a second. "Father-" she whispered, looking over her shoulder at the Tower.

Lord Sevaroth chose that moment to risk death by diving through a gap in the mist that separated him from his allies on the ground. In her second of distraction, Mei did not close the opening before he had a chance to descend. Sevaroth came to a full stop in front of Mei, and his eyes blazed with the glow of a powerful genjutsu. Mei only fell under his sway for a second, but that second was enough time for Haku to throw a senbon that pierced her neck. Mei fell to the ground instantly, and the remnants of her lava and mist attacks disappeared.

Zabuza gave a shout of triumph, realizing that Haku had successfully hit a vital spot. "Well struck, Haku!" When he was standing over Mei's motionless form, he realized that she wasn't actually dead. Her heart wasn't beating, but her stillness was the stillness of Haku's signature false death technique, not the grave. Zabuza quirked one eyebrow at his young student, who shrugged apologetically.

"It is not my place to say whether she lives or dies," Haku said with a small bow. "That choice belongs to you."

"I know what you're doing, Haku," Zabuza growled. "I see your time with Itachi has made you just as conniving as that smug little bastard."

"I don't know what you mean, Zabuza-sama." Haku's expression was the image of innocent sincerity.

Zabuza snorted in disgust, but picked up Mei and slung her over one shoulder. "Itachi gave me another chance," he said unwillingly, as if the words were being dragged from him. "I'll do the same for her."

Lord Sevaroth smiled faintly, causing his sharp teeth to gleam in the fading sunlight. Then the roar of the Sanbi came again, distracting the three warriors from the problem posed by the Mizukage's daughter.

"That doesn't sound good," Zabuza said. "That Itachi has a way of messing up the simplest plans. I wonder what he's done to complicate things this time."

oOoOo

It was funny, Sasuke reflected, how shared peril could make allies out of the most unlikely of people. For instance, take Kisame. A few seconds ago Sasuke wouldn't have trusted him for a second – he still didn't, come to that. But now he was waiting with bated breath, hoping that Kisame and Itachi between them could find a way to stop a Tailed Beast on the rampage.

The Sanbi was truly terrifying in its rage. There was no way of knowing what kind of torture it had suffered while powering the Mizukage's defenses, and without a doubt it was going to break free of its cage and wreak destruction on its former captors. The seals inscribed on the glass of the aquarium were still there, but they glowed less and less with each passing second. Small cracks appeared in the glass, spider-thin fractures that etched themselves in new patterns and spread with frightening rapidity. The Sanbi thrashed and roared, and one by one the chakra-bearing tubes broke off and disconnected. The water in the tank began to bubble and then boil, heated by the sheer energy of the Sanbi's chakra fighting its restraints.

Sevaron was gripping Sasuke's shoulder so tightly that his claws had actually drawn blood. The little bat was speechless with fear, but not about to run away.

"I don't know how to bring the Sanbi under control," Kisame admitted, a shadow of fear showing in his eyes. "Masanori kept that secret to himself. I never imagined that he would want to unleash such a thing on his own village."

"You are not to blame for your leader's insanity," Itachi said. "Though perhaps you ought to have anticipated this. A tyrant like Masanori would think that unleashing the Sanbi would make an admirable funeral pyre – even in death, he won't be satisfied until the entire world knows what happens to those who challenge his power."

"What can we do?" Sasuke asked, nervously watching the Sanbi writhe in its cage. "The glass won't last much longer!"

Itachi reactivated his sharingan, regarding the Sanbi grimly. "I can try to bring it under control with genjutsu. It will resist, and its chakra is far, far stronger than mine, but perhaps I can keep it contained for a little while. Long enough for you to begin evacuating the village."

Sasuke let out a cry of dismay. Itachi meant to sacrifice himself so that the villagers could escape! "Itachi, no!"

His brother met his gaze directly. "I won't let another village be destroyed because of my failure to act."

Sasuke's eyes teared up, and he felt choked by a mixture of fear and pride. Fear for his brother, but pride that Itachi retained his humanity. Even if it meant that he would be unable to liberate Konoha, Itachi would put his life on the line for innocent people. At that moment, Sasuke knew he would never find someone he loved or respected more than his brother.

"I can help," he declared, activating his own sharingan. "With both of us, maybe we can buy the villagers some more time."

Itachi shook his head. "Not this time, Sasuke. Go with Kisame and help with the evacuation."

Sasuke ignored his brother's order completely. "You promised me once before that you would never abandon me. That means we stand together. If you don't like it, then _you_ go start the evacuation."

From his perch on Sasuke's shoulder, Sevaron chimed in with, "I'll help, too! Dad says my genjutsu is almost as good as his."

Kisame shifted impatiently. "As touching as this example of brotherly love is, we have more pressing concerns."

"You're right," Itachi said, holding Sasuke's eyes. "Then I won't argue any more. It's your choice to stay, just as it is mine. Kisame, get out of here. See if you can explain things to Zabuza – he might attack you on first sight, so be careful of that. I don't know how long we can do this for, so please hurry."

Kisame bowed to the two of them. "It's been an honor, even if a brief one. I thank you on behalf of our village."

He took off at top speed, and disappeared out of the chamber. Side by side, the Uchiha brothers and their nocturnal ally turned to face the Sanbi.

"How should we do this?" Sasuke asked. "I don't know about you, but I don't know any genjutsu designed to tame demons."

"We wait until it breaks free," Itachi said. "Then we pour every ounce of power we have into our sharingan. Think of your chakra as a net, and cast it over the Sanbi once you make eye contact. Our only objective is to suppress its chakra as long as possible."

Sasuke nodded with determination. "I can do that."

Then they waited, as the cracks in the grass widened and the Sanbi became even more frenzied in its attempts to break free.

"Hold it right there!" a voice came from the entrance to the chamber. Zabuza sprinted towards them, Haku and Lord Sevaroth close behind.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked, his frosty tone making his displeasure clear. "You should be evacuating the village with Kisame!"

Zabuza shrugged nonchalantly. "I ran into shark-butt on the way down here; congrats on bringing him to our side, by the way. I want to hear how you did it, but maybe some other time. He briefed me on the situation, and I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed with your plan. You know, the one where you two become martyrs for a village that isn't even your own."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Itachi asked coldly.

"Nah," Zabuza shook his head. "But Lord Sevaroth does." He hooked his thumb at the leader of the vampire bat clan, who was looking remarkably pleased with himself.

"Our Elder is a master of Sealing," Sevaroth explained. "He'll know what to do."

Sasuke glared angrily at Sevaron, who had remained on his shoulder throughout the entire thing. "That information would have been very helpful, Sev! What, do you _want_ us to get killed?"

The little bat squeaked in distress. "I didn't know, I promise!"

"So let's quit wasting time," Zabuza exclaimed. He bit his thumb and put his palm to the ground, shouting "_Summoning Jutsu!_"

A wizened old bat appeared in a puff of smoke, and ruffled its white fur with displeasure. He glared at Zabuza crankily. "There had better be a good reason for-" then he saw the Sanbi in its glass tank, and swallowed the remainder of his sentence. "Oh." He managed to look sheepish, which was quite an accomplishment for a bat.

"Yup," Zabuza agreed. "That's the reason. So tell me, Gramps – you got anything that can seal a demon?"

The bat took a few paces, leaning on an elegant little walking cane. When he looked up, fire flashed in his eyes. "I do know of a seal that will work. However, it requires a willing human vessel. The vessel absorbs the creature, suppressing its power."

"What's the catch?" Zabuza asked.

The Elder rapped his cane sharply against the ground. "Death," he said simply. "My technique is not meant to safely house a Tailed Beast inside a human body. Instead, it offers the vessel's life-force in return for sealing the monster away. Once the vessel dies, the demon disappears, its essence scattered to the four winds. A Tailed Beast cannot die, but it would take many years, decades even, for it to reform…"

"And Kiri would be saved," Zabuza finished. "All it would cost is a life."

"Let me do it." All eyes turned to focus on the speaker. It was Haku, his eyes shining with eagerness. "This is my reason for living, Zabuza-sama. It was for this moment. My life is yours, as it has always been. Let me serve you in this, and give my life to stop the beast."

Zabuza rubbed his chin with one hand, considering. "It's certainly convenient, isn't it?" he mused. "Your loyalty is admirable, Haku. Come, shake my hand."

To Sasuke's growing anger, Zabuza extended his hand to Haku as if accepting his offer. Haku reached out his own hand, his face glowing with the knowledge that he could serve Zabuza in a way that no one else could. Then, so suddenly Sasuke almost didn't see it happen, Zabuza extended his hand past Haku's, turning his handshake into a palm-strike that hit a bundle of nerves in Haku's neck. Haku slumped unconscious to the ground, leaving Sasuke gaping at Zabuza with surprise. Zabuza looked down at Haku for a long second, then turned to Itachi.

"I've realized something," he said abruptly. "Being Mizukage is a really shitty job, isn't it? I don't know why I ever wanted it." He looked at the Elder, who was watching him with a knowing twinkle in his red eyes. "Let's get this over with, Honored Elder. How do you activate this Seal?"

"Bend your head," the bat commanded. Sasuke was still in shock, looking back and forth from Haku's body to Zabuza. Was Zabuza really choosing to sacrifice himself?

Zabuza went to his knees and bowed his head. The Elder jumped on his back, and with efficient motions of his sharp claws he started to carve a design into the very flesh of Zabuza's back. The bat moved faster and faster, making ever more intricate additions to the Seal, which appeared as a circular design etched in thin red lines. "And now, the final step," the Elder whispered. He leaned over carefully, and bit down in the exact center of the design. For a second, Sasuke thought he saw a drop of blood drip down one of the bat's fangs and disappear into Zabuza's skin.

Then there was a flash of light, and the ritual was complete. The cuts healed instantly, but the seal remained etched in Zabuza's back in a dark, rust-red color. The Elder jumped to the ground, and Zabuza stood up with a dazed expression on his face. "I feel… strange…" he said, craning his head over his neck in an attempt to examine the seal.

"It's done," the Elder declared. "And I am as well. I will leave you now… Mizukage-sama." The bat cackled with glee, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Zabuza took a second to look back at the Sanbi. It was in a completely mindless fury, and would break out of its cage in mere seconds. Water gushed from widening cracks in countless places around the cage, and where the water hit the ground it steamed and hissed.

"This is it," Zabuza said, turning to Itachi and Sasuke. "It's been… quite an experience." He hesitated for a breath, his eyes straying towards Haku's motionless body. "When he wakes up… I'd appreciate if you explained things to him. Tell him… tell him that I don't think of him as a tool. And… look out for him, all right? He's going to need friends once…" but Zabuza couldn't go on.

Sasuke was tearing up himself, and even Itachi's eyes were suspiciously bright. Sevaron was sobbing like a baby, hot tears soaking into the fabric of Sasuke's shirt. Lord Sevaroth bowed deeply to Zabuza, a mark of respect from one leader to another.

"Don't worry," Sasuke choked out, "Haku will always have a home with us."

Zabuza nodded with unfeigned pleasure. "That's good to hear. Now," he faced the Sanbi once more, "let's see if we can't turn this bad boy into turtle soup."

The cracks in the tank were too many and too numerous by then, and the force of the water proved too much to be contained. As the Sanbi gave one final roar, the walls of the tank burst at last. Zabuza launched himself through the air, an insect charging a mountain. But the seal on his back grew brighter and brighter, until those below could barely see him from its glare. They jumped back as one to avoid the wave of boiling water, and it was at that moment that Zabuza reached the Sanbi. His outstretched arm reached for the demon's forehead, and then all disappeared in a flash of light and sound.

oOoOo

When Haku awoke, his grief was terrible to behold. They didn't need to tell him what happened – as soon as his eyes opened, he knew. When he stood up to look for Zabuza, it was as if the life had gone right out of him. His posture was stooped and defeated, and he stared at the world through dead eyes.

Itachi had brought them all out of the chamber, once Zabuza's seal had done its work. The Elder had been skilled, and the Sanbi was nowhere to be seen. Zabuza's body had fallen from the sky a moment afterward, plunging into the water from the Sanbi's tank. The chamber was now completely flooded, and after Itachi had retrieved Zabuza's body he brought the entire group safely into the drier underground passages. Then he'd laid Zabuza's body next to Haku's and Mei's – they had found Mei unconscious, right outside the iron door. Zabuza must have left her there before he entered.

Now Haku was awake, and he went immediately to his master's side. Sasuke stretched out a hand, hoping to bring him back. "Haku…" he said, quietly, insistently. Itachi put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Let him be," Itachi advised. "He must grieve."

Haku didn't make a sound as he surveyed Zabuza's body, a fact that made Sasuke even more worried. If Haku would only say something, cry, scream, anything… but his unnerving silence was almost too much to bear. Haku finally slumped down next to Zabuza's limp form and clutched it to his chest. He started sobbing brokenly, while Sasuke and Itachi looked away out of respect.

But then, without warning, Haku's sobs broke off. He stood up, quite unexpectedly, and announced, "He's alive!"

"What?" Sasuke and Itachi raced each other to reach Zabuza's side first. They fell in next to Haku, and peered down at Zabuza. Sure enough, his chest began to rise and fall.

"How is this possible?" Sasuke breathed.

Itachi gave a short bark of laughter, then scratched his head in amazement. "Something tells me that Lord Sevaroth knows." He turned to the bat chieftain, who was chuckling silently.

Sevaroth spread his wings wide, the picture of innocence. "The Elder told you the truth – his seal isn't meant to house a Tailed Beast safely in a _human _vessel. It's a different story, however, when the vessel is slightly more than human."

Sasuke looked on uncomprehendingly. What did he mean, _more _than human? Lord Sevaroth cleared his throat, enjoying their confusion.

"When the Elder completed the seal, he gave Zabuza more than the ability to seal the Sanbi. He gave him a drop of our blood, infused with the essence of our clan. It changed Zabuza, reinforcing his chakra coils enough to withstand the strain of the Sanbi's chakra. Zabuza proved himself to be worthy by sacrificing himself for the village – it was that selflessness that the Elder decided to reward."

Sasuke's mind churned away at making sense of what he was hearing. "So now-"

As always, Itachi was quicker than he to grasp the situation. "So now Kirigakure has more than a new Mizukage. They have a jinchuriki as well."

Sevaroth bowed his head. "That's it exactly. Zabuza bears not only our gift, but a demon as well."

Sasuke groaned. The happiness he was feeling threatened to overwhelm him, so he fell back on his surest defense: sarcasm. "That's just great. He's sure to be insufferable now!"

A fit of coughing drew everyone's attention to Zabuza, who had woken up at some point during Sevaroth's explanation. "You're… damn right, brat… Haku, where are you?"

"Right here, Zabuza-sama," Haku said, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "I'm right here."

"Sorry… about knocking you out," Zabuza rasped. "That wasn't… very nice of me…" he reached out a hand and ruffled Haku's hair.

Itachi gave Sasuke a sly grin. "Maybe one day, Haku will come to forgive you. But for now, you've got to get back on your feet. You've got a village to run."

Zabuza groaned. "Is this what life is going to be like now? All work, all the time?"

"That's the life of a Kage," Itachi said, his voice carrying undisguised amusement. "I'll be very excited to see you handle your new responsibilities, Mizukage-sama."

"You know what?" Zabuza said after a moment, "there's only one good thing that came out of this situation."

"What's that?"

Zabuza opened his eyes at last, and his pupils were the same shade of red as Lord Sevaroth's. He pointed one finger threateningly at Itachi. "I can finally kick your ass!"

oOoOo

In the aftermath of the battle with Masanori and the Sanbi, Sasuke found out that it was possible to be scared to death and bored out of your skull at the same time. The Army returned to Kirigakure, and it was up to Zabuza to tell them that they had a new Mizukage. The negotiations went on for days, while Sasuke and Haku had nothing to do but wait and hope that they wouldn't have to start fighting again.

If not for the help of Kisame and Mei, the transition of power wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly. Kisame was in charge of almost all of the information-gathering cells in Kiri, and he turned over the reins to Zabuza without a qualm. As for Mei, she agreed to help once she was told that her father was dead.

"I grieve for my father, but it is good that he is gone," was all that she said. Her support, though grudging, tipped the scales in Zabuza's favor. There were many shinobi who viewed Mei with reverence, and once she stated her intentions of following Zabuza, her followers reluctantly accepted his leadership as well.

Sandstorm departed soon after the final battle, once the Mistring disappeared and they discovered that Zabuza was to be the new Mizukage. Zabuza gave Baki a letter to deliver personally to the Kazekage, thanking him for the aid rendered by Sandstorm, and offering his goodwill going into the future. With luck, relations between Suna and Kiri were soon to become much friendlier.

There were many months' work ahead, if not years. The rebels and regular shinobi still hated each other for the most part, and Zabuza did not fully trust either Mei or Kisame. But word spread throughout the land that Kirigakure had a new Mizukage, one who welcomed anyone willing to keep the peace, regardless of whatever abilities they might possess. News of Masanori's hypocrisy also spread, and most citizens were overjoyed to accept any alternative to Masanori the Cruel.

As Itachi told Sasuke one day, Zabuza would face opposition for many years to come. But he was strong enough to rule, and he understood the cost. In him, Kirigakure had found a conscientious and capable protector.

As for the two of them, Itachi and Sasuke held honored places in the new Kirigakure. For their role in the Rebellion, and for Itachi's generosity in distributing Gato's wealth to the people of Water Country, Zabuza accepted them officially as shinobi of Kiri. But that was not all – one of Zabuza's first official acts as Mizukage was to revive the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Zabuza and Kisame were the only two remaining, and the five other swords had been gathering rust in the Mizukage's Armory for years. The first three shinobi to be appointed as new Swordsmen were none other than Sasuke, Itachi and Haku.

Two nights after the Kiri army had accepted Zabuza as their leader, Zabuza stood in the Armory with his three new Swordsmen. On the far wall were the remaining five swords of the Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Choose," Zabuza said, pointing at the blades. "You'll need the extra firepower once we march on Konoha."

Sasuke approached the artifacts with reverence. He knew exactly which sword he wanted – or swords, because there were two. He picked up the lightning blades Kiba, and channeled a little lightning chakra through the twin blades. They crackled with electricity and emitted a deadly hum. Sasuke grinned widely. "It's not even my birthday!"

Haku took Nuibari, the "Sewing Needle," which possessed the power to tie enemies together with thread as it ran them through. Itachi, after long deliberation, chose Shibuki, the "Blastsword." A line of explosive scrolls concealed in the blade allowed the user to mix swordsmanship with explosions, and never need to worry about stocking explosive tags.

"Welcome to the club, Swordsmen," Zabuza said. "Kirigakure is honored to have you."

"You know we'll have to leave at some point," Itachi warned.

Zabuza nodded impatiently. "I know – you have unfinished business in Konoha. All I ask is that you stay for a little while, long enough for me to get the country back in order. With you heading up my Intelligence department, I can consolidate my rule and have the village at better than full strength within a year or so. Then, when the time is right, you'll have Kirigakure's full support against Madara."

They shook hands, their bargain made. Sasuke couldn't believe how things had turned out. A year ago, he and Itachi had been on the run, afraid to so much as show their faces in a town. Now they occupied privileged positions in a major shinobi village, and had a promise of support from the Mizukage himself.

Sasuke had remained positive over the years, but he had had his doubts. Now he knew without a doubt what his future held.

_I'm going home._

**End of Part 4**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **You've been waiting quite a while for this chapter, and I thank you for your patience (not that you had any choice, I suppose). After quite a long trip to Water Country, we're back with Naruto and Hinata as they head down their separate paths. This is the final arc before the last Time Skip, and it will be followed by the final arc in the story. So please fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen, and stay with me. The end is in sight – for us, if not for our confused young heroes. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Part 5: Growing Pains**

**Chapter 28**

Naruto saw the kunai as soon as it emerged from the screen of trees ringing the practice field, a white explosive tag burning even as it flew towards him. With a burst of speed from the Kyubi, Naruto could have cleared the blast radius before the kunai was even in range. Then he would have followed the path of the kunai back into the woods, where he would have had the distinct pleasure of destroying the sadistic bastards who were apparently trying to blow him up. Unfortunately, Naruto was not allowed to draw on the Kyubi's energy at the moment, meaning that the sadistic bastards – otherwise known as Akemi and Takeshi – were safe from his wrath. For now.

A circle of scorched grass surrounded Naruto, forming a visible barrier only a few yards around. According to the rules of the training, he wasn't allowed to put so much as a toe over the line; the objective was to dodge the projectiles that his teammates had been slinging at him for over an hour. However, so far Akemi and Takeshi had restrained themselves to volleys of kunai, shuriken, and occasionally senbon; this was an _explosive tag_, for crying out loud! How could he be expected to dodge an explosion if he couldn't move more than six feet in any direction?

Crouching low on his toes, Naruto strained his eyes as he poured more energy into his sharingan. The blast radius of a standard-issue explosive tag was about eight feet, more than large enough to engulf the entire circle in which Naruto was trapped. But judging by the current path of the kunai, which was slightly to the left of the circle's center, there _might_ be a safe spot out of range of the explosion on the far right, just inside the circle's edge and close to the ground. Naruto wasn't confident enough in wielding his sharingan to be sure, but it was his best option. Worse case scenario, he'd catch the backdraft of the explosion and end up in the hospital for a few hours while the Kyubi healed him up. It wouldn't be the first time.

Naruto was about to dive low and away, when a glint of light from _behind_ the approaching kunai made him realize his mistake. The weapon was attached to an impossibly thin length of ninja wire, a guiding line that glinted as the shinobi controlling it from the woods gave a slight tug. The tagged kunai responded instantly, darting in midair to come between Naruto and his previous destination.

Staying inside the circle was no longer Naruto's top priority, nor was it even on his mind. He threw himself backward with all his strength, but it was too late. The tag detonated mere feet away. Naruto had no more than a fraction of a second to wonder why there wasn't smoke or fire before he was slammed by a wave of concussive sound. He heard two loud pops as his eardrums ruptured, followed by pain. _Lots_ of pain. The sheer force of the blast knocked him end over end, spinning uncontrollably in midair until he landed painfully several yards away from the circle.

Naruto forced himself to his feet, trying to hide the quiver in his legs. It took him a second to notice that he couldn't hear anything. Not the wind, not the pounding of his heart, not even his own voice when he let out a low moan. His ruptured eardrums were incapable of registering sound, leaving Naruto in a silence as eerie and unnatural as it was absolute.

While brushing dirt and twigs off of his Uchiha flak jacket, Naruto cursed himself bitterly. How could he have missed the guiding wire? He might as well be a raw recruit, given his slow progress using the sharingan.

From out of the woods emerged Akemi and Takeshi. Takeshi looked slightly sheepish, probably embarrassed for Naruto on account of his failure; Akemi just looked pissed. She started yelling at Naruto when she was still halfway across the training area. Naruto pointed at his ears and shrugged ruefully, communicating his inability to hear. From Takeshi's pained wince, Naruto guessed that he'd only made Akemi yell louder.

Naruto realized that he'd have to listen to his irate teammate sooner or later, so it was best to get it over with now. He held up a hand, cutting off Akemi in mid-squawk. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind as he always did before searching for the Kyubi's chakra. After extensive practice with his sharingan, Naruto could now suppress a portion of the Kyubi's chakra and draw on a safe amount without endangering his mental control. Even if Naruto was comparatively slow at learning to fight with the sharingan, he was fast becoming adept at keeping the Kyubi in check while drawing on more and more of the fox's power.

After a series of painful but illuminating lessons with Madara, Naruto had succeeded in pushing the Kyubi back behind many layers of mental defenses. He could now access the Kyubi's chakra by visiting the outer levels of his mindscape, without having to worry about confronting the beast. Naruto had even learned how to alter his mindscape according to his own vision. Gone was the prison surrounded by fog, pervaded by a miasma of sinister red chakra.

Instead, Naruto had organized his mindscape into a series of levels that he could alter at will. Each level brought him closer to the Kyubi, who was staying very quietly in the deepest reaches of Naruto's mindscape. The outermost level was very simple, a small courtyard with a well in the center. The well was built of stone, with a wooden bucket that could be lowered into the well by pulling on a rope attached to a pulley.

Inside the well was not water, but chakra. This was the reservoir that contained residual power from the fox – Naruto could drain the well without worrying about sprouting one of the Kyubi's tails. As Naruto trained and became stronger, the amount of chakra in the well increased. The chakra reservoir was a mere fraction of the power of the fox demon, but it was usually more than enough for Naruto. He could fight most of the Uchiha in the Military Police to a standstill with nothing more than chakra drawn from this well. If he ever had need for anything more, well… that was what the deeper levels of his mindscape were for. With his sharingan to suppress the Kyubi's power, Naruto could begin manifesting tails to exponentially increase his power while staying in control of his mind.

Naruto drew some of the fox's chakra from the well, drinking it as he would water. Once he felt the power spreading through his veins, Naruto left his mindscape and returned to his body. The whole process had only taken a second in the real world, not even enough time for Akemi to close her mouth.

With the Kyubi's chakra spreading through him, Naruto was able to accelerate the reconstruction of his eardrums. It hurt like a bitch, but after a minute Naruto could hear once again.

That, along with gaining control of his mindscape, was perhaps the greatest ability Naruto had gained thanks to his new eyes. He could direct the foreign chakra and use it to focus his body's astonishing healing ability. Naruto could heal most wounds on his own without needing a medic, although the price was high in terms of physical exhaustion. After forcing his body to recover from a stab wound (given him by an enthusiastic medic-nin who wanted to "see what he could do"), Naruto had slept for thirty-six hours. Healing his eardrums wasn't nearly as difficult, because he didn't have to push his body through accelerated tissue regeneration or replenishing blood.

The downside of healing his ears was that Naruto could now hear Akemi. His fiery teammate was _not _pleased. "Can you hear me now?" she demanded, her hands on her hips and her chin jutting out aggressively. Naruto nodded meekly.

"Good. Then you should know you are the slowest, densest, and least adept Cadet I havehad the misfortune of training. _Ever!_"

Takeshi turned a startled laugh into a cough, covering his mouth with one hand. Akemi pinned him with a vicious glare. "You have something to say?"

"Well, um… you haven't trained anybody else, right? So no matter how well Naruto does, he's bound to be the worst Cadet you've trained. But then, he's also the best."

Akemi did not appreciate Takeshi's logic in the least. "If I need your opinion," she said icily, "I will ask for it. Until then, play with your puppy and let the adults talk."

Takeshi scoffed, while Hinamaru barked fiercely in protest at being called a puppy. Naruto watched with interest, noting that his teammates had become much more comfortable around each other lately. They bantered back and forth with none of the friction that had existed before. Naruto had no time to wonder when exactly things had changed, because Akemi went back to yelling at him.

"Really, Naruto, if you're not going to try you might as well go back to barracks and stop wasting our time!"

"You know what," Naruto said, his voice rising to match Akemi's, "I think I'm the one who should be getting angry! I was fine with dodging weapons, but don't you think you could have warned me that you were going to use concussion tags?"

Takeshi at least had the grace to look ashamed. Akemi snorted dismissively. "Do you think an enemy isn't going to use explosions? Consider yourself lucky Takeshi is such a soft-hearted wimp, or else I _would_ have used explosive tags, instead of pathetic little bursts of sound. Maybe that would remind you to stay on your toes instead of getting caught flat-footed by a simple trick like ninja wire."

She threw her hands up in the air with disgust. "Takeshi, _you_ talk to this idiot. Just looking at his stupid face is making me sick." She turned away with exaggerated anger, making Naruto laugh in spite of himself.

Takeshi sighed, but he stepped forward as requested. "You did well today, Naruto," said the more mild-mannered boy. "But I think what Akemi is _trying_ to say-" he shot a quiet glare at the girl before continuing – "is that you're using your sharingan too much like binoculars. You pour your chakra into focusing on a single attack, trying to anticipate how it will approach you. But just like binoculars, using your sharingan that way will restrict your vision. Let your eyes do the work for you, and don't focus on the individual leaf so much that you lose sight of the forest. That way you won't miss important details, like for example the ninja wire we attached to the kunai."

"I don't understand why you're so much better at this than me," Naruto complained. "It's not like you've had your sharingan much longer than I have."

Takeshi shrugged. "Maybe it's in the blood. All I know is you're trying too hard to analyze the first attack you see, even though it's almost never the attack you see that kills you. But that's probably enough lecture for today. Want to spar? You can even use the Kyubi's chakra, as a reward for standing so patiently in that circle while we tried to kill you."

Naruto's smile revealed teeth that were slightly sharper than they had been an instant before. "Sounds good to me. What do you say, Akemi? Want to prove just how hopeless I am now that I can fight back?"

When Akemi turned back towards her teammate, her predatory grin was reflected by the gleaming steel blade of her katana. "I thought you'd never ask. You'll get the hang of that sharingan today, or else you'll have a sword through your gut."

Takeshi had put on his "claws," the brass knuckles that each contained three metal spikes hidden by a Sealing jutsu that was keyed to his chakra. Takeshi crouched next to Hinamaru, channeling chakra to make the blades slide out. Naruto jumped back to a safe distance from his teammates, his canines and nails elongating as he called on a small amount of the Kyubi's chakra.

Three pairs of sharingan eyes began to glow red, and soon the clang of steel filled the training area.

oOoOo

Tanzaku Town was built on blood and money. What began many years ago as a waypost for thieves, brigands, and fugitives eventually grew into a full village, attracting illicit businesses that flourished without the military presence of shinobi. Anything you could wish to buy or sell could be found there, from the merely expensive to the dangerously illegal. There was no class structure beyond wealth, no vice that couldn't be satisfied. Here a customer was a king, at least until his coin ran out.

To Hinata, Tanzaku Town seemed a chaotic mess. As she walked down the street behind Jiraiya, hood pulled low to cover her all-too-conspicuous Hyuga eyes, she watched the squalor before her with mute astonishment. There was garbage in the streets and evidence of extreme poverty mixed in with the obvious wealth displayed by the more successful businesses. Before they'd walked three blocks she'd seen two brawls and more beggars than she could count. The streets were lined with bars, gambling dens, and brothels – some of the larger buildings served as all three. Hinata blushed furiously when she saw the open windows spaced here and there, where women in scandalous outfits called out to those passing below.

"Hey grandpa," one woman shouted at Jiraiya in a raucous tone. "Come on up; we'll take good care of you!"

Jiraiya looked simultaneously offended and tempted. Hinata guessed he must have resented the "grandpa" comment, though his white hair certainly didn't help him seem younger. "Don't even think about it," she hissed through her teeth, seeing Jiraiya about to shout back. "We're here to find Tsunade."

Jiraiya gave her a hangdog look, and Hinata had to remind herself that this man _was _dependable, despite his… appetites. He had been training her ever since he took her away from Konoha, and as a sensei he was demanding, meticulous, and merciless. It was strange how quickly he turned into an lecherous fool whenever he went near a sauna or saw a pretty woman. He'd never treated Hinata with anything less than the utmost respect, and from what she could tell he never pushed himself on a woman who wasn't interested. As long as Jiraiya never crossed that line, Hinata was willing to ignore what he chose to do with his free time.

However, this was most definitely _not_ free time. Tsunade was here, somewhere in this town of reprobates, drunkards, and gamblers. If Jiraiya hadn't sworn that his contact was reliable, Hinata never would have believed him. How could one of the Legendary Sannin be _here_, of all places? But then, Jiraiya seemed at home among the whorehouses and black-market shops. Perhaps Tsunade was just the same.

Hinata moved to get a grip on Jiraiya's sleeve as he started to shuffle slyly towards a door with a woman painted on the front. The woman wasn't wearing very much, to put it mildly. Hinata sighed. Keeping Jiraiya on task made her feel like a sheepdog, and with Jiraiya's shaggy mane of hair the comparison was even more apt.

"How do you know she's not in there?" Jiraiya whined. "Shouldn't we at least check?"

Jiraiya was so transparent that Hinata had to chuckle. Sure, he was a lecherous old bastard, but he was harmless, and his sly good humor was infectious. Sometimes his jokes reminded her of Naruto, which made her sad yet brought a smile to her face at the same time.

"Pull yourself together," Hinata scolded. "Your contact said he saw Tsunade gambling, right? Let's start asking around in the bigger establishments."

Finding the Sannin turned out to be easier than she thought. After choosing only two gambling dens to investigate, they found witnesses who claimed they'd seen Tsunade earlier that day. With the exception of one angry proprietor who seemed to think he could make Jiraiya settle up Tsunade's debts, the rest of the search went without trouble.

After following the trail doggedly for less than an hour, they came to a small, dingy-looking building with a sign out front that read, _Yoshihana's Gambling Emporium._ The interior was cramped and dim, with tables spread throughout, attended by employees in ill-fitting uniforms and customers crowding around to watch the dice fall. Voices rose in elation and despair, and the sound of coins clinking together made a discordant music that jarred Hinata's nerves.

Taking advantage of the cover provided by her hooded cloak, Hinata activated her byakugan to scan the room. At a table near the back, alone except for a dark-haired, nervous woman carrying a pig (Hinata had no idea why), was the woman they had come to meet. The Princess Tsunade, as Hinata had heard Jiraiya call her once, kept her hair in blond pigtails and wore a green jacket that stretched tightly over her astonishing figure. The employee at her table looked terrified, and as Hinata made her way closer she realized that the poor boy was trying to find a diplomatic way to tell one of the world's most powerful shinobi that she would eventually have to settle her losses.

Hinata felt a hand on her shoulder, and started to jerk away before she recognized Jiraiya. "I think it's best if I handle this," he whispered. "She can be a bit… temperamental, at times."

As if protesting his choice of words, Tsunade chose that moment to slam her hand down on the table. A pair of dice shot a few feet into the air, and in his fright the employee jumped almost as high. "That's it," Tsunade declared, confidently for one with so few coins in front of her. "I'm putting it all on this next roll. It'll be a pair."

"And what a pair it is," Jiraiya muttered slyly under his breath, staring at Tsunade's chest. Hinata held her breath, praying that Tsunade hadn't heard.

The dice scattered, coming to a stop in front of Tsunade. The result of the toss was clear to Hinata's eyes; both dice showed a single black dot. Tsunade stared down at the dice before her, utterly bemused.

"Snake eyes… it seems my luck is changing."

"You rolled a pair," Tsunade's assistant said anxiously, peering over Tsunade's shoulder. "That's good, right? That means we're not completely broke this time?"

"For today," Tsunade said, still staring at the dice as if they contained some hidden message. "Once I start winning, that's the sign that I need to stop. But I don't like ending with a pair of ones… snake eyes is an unlucky roll no matter how you look at it. I have a bad feeling about this."

"And that's my cue," Jiraiya whispered, edging past Hinata with a reassuring nod. He raised his voice and started walking towards Tsunade. "Is that Tsunade I see? Kami preserve us, you only get more beautiful every time I see you!"

Still with her back turned to the two of them, Tsunade let out a sigh that shook her entire frame. "See, Shizune? I _told _you that was a bad roll. Next time stop me while I'm still losing."

"Aw, Tsunade, you don't mean that! Seeing old friends is the best kind of luck in the worl-"

His words were cut off with a yelp as Tsunade blurred into motion, her fist driving into his stomach. Hinata had to duck hastily to avoid getting crushed by Jiraiya as he flew through the air. There was a _crash_ when he took out a row of glasses behind the bar, and a series of screams from customers as they realized they were caught in a fight between shinobi.

They started milling towards the door, quickly turning into a panicked mob with a single objective: to get the hell out of there. Hinata wished she could follow their example. Instead she stood, transfixed, as Tsunade approached her with deliberation, mouth set in a grim line. Hinata swallowed once, her throat dry as dust.

_Somehow, I saw this going a little differently in my mind._

oOoOo

"General Fugaku." As always, Madara's voice was cool and dispassionate, giving nothing away. After years serving the clan's founder, Fugaku still couldn't read Madara's mood. Practically the only time he'd seen a softer side of Madara was when the man spent time alone with Naruto. Although lately, tensions seemed to be running high between the Hokage and his adopted son. Fugaku had no idea what was causing the friction, but he chalked it up to Naruto entering that difficult stage right before adulthood. Fugaku could remember when Itachi went through that phase-

Fugaku froze, appalled at his slip. He had thought that Itachi was truly dead to him. Perhaps it was just seeing Naruto and Madara together that reminded him of happier days, when he'd thought that Itachi would be the one to bring glory to the Uchiha clan. That hope was dead, now – Fugaku only hoped that he could find the traitors who had once been his sons, that he might erase the shame that had fallen upon his family.

"Reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama." He saluted crisply, leaning on his cane for balance.

"At ease, my friend. I wish to talk with you about a matter of some importance."

Fugaku could guess what it was already. Naruto. It seemed that every second word out of Madara's mouth these days had to do with Naruto's progress. But then, Madara wasn't the only Uchiha watching Naruto's progress with pride. The clan had come to accept him even more after Naruto had received Shisui's sharingan eyes, and Naruto's prowess in the practice ring had won him the grudging respect of even the most conservative members of the Military Police.

As Fugaku expected, Madara wanted to know about Naruto. "How is his training progressing? I saw him spar with Tanaki's squad last week, and he seemed a little slow. Not once he drew on the Kyubi's chakra, of course…"

Fugaku tapped his cane softly, thinking. Naruto's progress was rapid, but spotty. Not to mention Fugaku's sense that there was something holding Naruto back. He wondered briefly if he should edit his report and tell only the positive developments, but that would be shameful. Fugaku was no sycophant, telling the Hokage what he wanted to hear! He'd had enough of that with the Third, but with Madara, Fugaku knew he could always speak his mind honestly.

"Naruto is adjusting quite rapidly to the use of the sharingan," he said judiciously. "His main flaw is combining his own fighting style with the increased precision that the sharingan demands. Most of our Uchiha warriors have been preparing to use their sharingan all their lives – our taijutsu style is specially tailored to it, after all. Although Naruto's taijutsu has many strengths, precision has never been one of them. It will take time before he can match his teammates in a straight taijutsu spar while using only the sharingan."

Fugaku broke off, sensing that Madara was getting impatient with his report. "But you know that from seeing him spar. Where Naruto has truly exceeded my expectations is with his control over the Kyubi's chakra. Over the last few weeks Naruto has pushed the Kyubi back behind many layers of mental protection, and altered his mindscape according to his needs. Now he can draw on the demon's power quickly and with control. I've tested his control extensively, and he can handle up to five tails without any risk of losing mental focus. We've avoided pushing his boundaries without reason, but if it ever becomes necessary I'm sure that Naruto could activate Shisui's Mangekyou and bring out seven or even eight tails. The only problem is the toll on his body – his mind is safe, but after four tails the destruction of his cells starts to outpace his ability to heal himself. His recovery time is similar to that needed for the Eight Celestial Gates, but the power he can draw on far exceeds the Gates."

It was impossible to tell, but Fugaku thought that Madara might be smiling behind his orange mask. "Excellent. Fugaku, you have done good work preparing my son for the challenges ahead. I am most pleased."

Fugaku coughed, unwilling to let Madara praise him prematurely. "You honor me, Hokage-sama, but there _is _something else I wanted to bring to your attention. While Naruto is learning at an impressive rate, he's also… different, of late. He's quieter than he used to be. Sometimes he just sits on the top of your monument and looks out over the village. I don't know what it is, but something seems to be on his mind."

"I've noticed this as well," Madara replied. "I was wondering if you'd mention it."

Fugaku suppressed a sigh of relief; he'd passed another of Madara's tests. He dreaded the day he failed one.

"I think I know the reason," Madara went on. "I've heard that Naruto was sneaking out of the village a while ago, but that he stopped suddenly. I'm willing to bet that Naruto was meeting some girl, but was ashamed to admit it for fear that I would disapprove. His attitude now suggests that his dalliance did not end well – I must admit I'm glad. I won't impose restrictions on Naruto yet, but he must marry a kunoichi of the Uchiha clan. Whatever funk he's in now, I trust will disappear with time."

A girl, eh? Fugaku could see that. There was nothing like a woman to turn a dedicated shinobi into a drooling idiot. Well, he knew how to fix the aftermath of romantic disappointment. You just had to keep the victim busy until time healed his wounds.

"May I suggest that you send Naruto on some difficult mission? He's moping around now, and even with the amount of training he's doing he has a lot of time on his hands to brood. Give him something to challenge him. You've turned him into a weapon, but now he's going to rust. He was made for greater tests than the training arena."

Madara chuckled, showing more good humor than Fugaku had seen from him in while. "Do you know, I'd already planned for that. I had a test ready for Naruto that would prove his worth not just to the clan, but to the entire world. But thanks to that damned rebellion in Kirigakure, I have to postpone it for a while. The timing was perfect! But never mind… if there's anything I've learned in my lifetime, it's the value of patience. Naruto's test will come."

Fugaku made a neutral noise to express his curiosity. "Naruto's… test, sir?"

"I've decided to reopen our Chunin Exams to the other villages. Our hold on Konoha is secure, and now my heir has come into his full power."

Fugaku understood it all in a flash. The Chunin Exams had been discontinued after the Reclamation – no village was willing to invite other villages for a full-scale Chunin Exam until its leadership was secure. Any upheaval that affected the balance of power between major shinobi villages put a stop to the Chunin Exams as a meeting-place for genin. If Madara wanted to host a Chunin Exam now, it meant he was ready to show the world the full power of the Uchiha clan. Potential employers and potential enemies alike would watch the Exams, and the success of Konoha's genin would directly translate to the measure of respect that Madara would command.

This also explained to Fugaku why Madara was going to have to postpone his tournament. "It's the rebellion in Kirigakure, isn't it. Their new government is just getting to its feet. They won't be attending any foreign Exams until they consolidate their power."

Madara nodded. "This Zabuza has sent home all of the ambassadors from other villages. He's even managed to find our spies and 'politely' had them escorted them to the border. The man came out of nowhere, and he's even more secretive than the stubborn old fool he killed. For the immediate future, he's going to focus all of his attention on strengthening his hold on the village. If I want our first Exams to be a success, I need all the major villages to attend. That means I have to wait until Kirigakure is once again receiving diplomatic advances. It will be at least a year, maybe more."

Madara's gloved fist tightened slightly, the only sign that the news angered him. "Still, there's nothing I can do except use the time to become better prepared. In that vein, I believe I have just the thing to take Naruto's mind off of whatever teenage tragedy has befallen him. I'm going to send a diplomatic envoy to Amegakure, to meet their new leader. I want Naruto to lead it."

Fugaku couldn't conceal an expression of dismay. "Ame? Is that wise?" According to their intelligence network, the village had changed leadership not that long before the Kirigakure rebellion. But where the name Momochi Zabuza was at least known, the identity of Ame's new leader remained a mystery. Even the spies had fallen silent, none reporting since the initial news of Hanzo's death.

The merest tilt of Madara's mask reminded Fugaku that he needed to think very hard before questioning the Hokage's wisdom. Still, he wouldn't back down when he was honestly worried. "I'm just not sure that sending your son and heir into an unknown and uncontrolled environment is a good idea. There's also the fact that Naruto may not be, ahem…" he coughed delicately, looking away, "the most _appropriate_ choice for a diplomatic mission."

Madara's voice was dry, acknowledging that Fugaku had a point. "He may not be the most tactful of people, but his status as my son is a valuable diplomatic tool in itself. Ame's leader will know that I respect him – or her, I suppose – because I send my son. It's also a measure of trust, which can go a long way toward opening communication. But most of all, this is a test to prepare Naruto to follow after me. He once demanded that I send him on a _real_ mission, and he almost died. Now he is much stronger and better prepared. If he can succeed in Ame, he'll be ready for almost anything the job of Hokage can throw at him, with the exception of war."

Fugaku bowed low. "As you say, it is a good test. Nevertheless, I urge you to send someone more experienced to keep an eye on him. Shinobi politics tend to get bloody." He was speaking from experience, there.

"It's funny you should mention that," Madara said, laughing at a joke that Fugaku was convinced he wasn't going to like. "Because I can't think of any better supervisor for Naruto than my right-hand shinobi, the man who has trained Naruto to harness the Kyubi. Best pack an umbrella, Fugaku. You're going to Amegakure."

oOoOo

"I've got some news."

Naruto gathered his teammates around him before they began training. He waited a few seconds, not sure how to begin, until he saw Akemi begin to fidget.

"I just got back from meeting with Madara," he said by way of introduction. They already knew that, of course; he hadn't been at dinner, and the only person who could pull Naruto away from mealtimes was the Hokage. Even then, it was a risky proposition.

"Do we have a new mission?" Takeshi asked, his patience overcome by eagerness. "It's about time!" Hinamaru barked his agreement.

"We do," Naruto said, his voice somber. "It's the real deal, too. A diplomatic mission to Amegakure."

Akemi's eyes narrowed as she watched him. "You don't seem very excited."

"Oh, I am. But I'm also… nervous. The Hokage said General Fugaku will be in charge, but he told me that I could choose the second team. It's going to be us and one other squad."

"General Fugaku _and _ a second squad?!" Takeshi whistled. "That's some entourage. He must really want to impress the leader of Ame."

Akemi tossed her head, sending her hair over one shoulder. "That, or he wants to make sure Naruto has the best protection possible. I'd like to see even Itachi try to take on the General."

"I'm sure both of those reasons played a part in Father's decision," Naruto said frankly. "We're good, but we're not experienced in diplomacy and we're _definitely _not ready to take on an entire village if we screw up. Whatever team I choose to go with us, they need to be the right shinobi for the job. Choosing wrong could be a disaster."

"What about Captain Tanaki and his squad?" Takeshi asked, half in jest. "We've disguised ourselves like him so many times that I'm sure we'd have good teamwork already."

Akemi barked a laugh. "That's not a bad idea. He's such a bootlicker that I'm sure he's a pro at these diplomatic missions. Besides, most of the jonin on the force won't be available because they've got missions of their own."

Naruto held his breath for a second longer, asking himself if he really wanted to do this. But he already knew the answer. "That's the problem, guys," he said at last. "You're both assuming that I'm going to pick an Uchiha squad."

Akemi jerked her head up, and suddenly Naruto had both of his teammates' undivided attention. "Naruto, are you saying what I think-"

"I'm going to choose a Sealed team," Naruto finished in a rush. He prepared himself to counter the arguments that he could already see springing into Akemi's mind.

"Are you crazy? This is a serious mission into potentially hostile territory! We need the best Uchiha officers we can get, shinobi we can trust to have our backs no matter what!"

Naruto sighed. He'd thought of Akemi's argument himself, and he was sure it was what Madara would say. It was what he'd have decided himself, before Hinata had said her final words to him in the forest outside the village.

Ever since that day, Naruto had been obsessed with thinking about the Seal. It was too late to salvage his friendship with Hinata – she ignored him completely when they saw each other, so completely that Naruto sometimes wondered if he'd dreamed everything. But her words haunted him, and recently, whenever Naruto wasn't busy training to master his sharingan, he was thinking about Konoha. About its future, and his part in it.

"I think you've pointed out the problem right there," Naruto said to Akemi. "We can only trust Uchiha officers to have our backs. Why is that?"

"Because they're… they're _Sealed_, Naruto, that's just how it is! They're cowards and traitors at heart."

"I can't believe that," Naruto said. "I know there was a plot to overthrow the Uchiha, and I'm not saying that Father wasn't right to consolidate his control over the village. But I can't believe that every shinobi in Konoha was part of the Third Hokage's plot. Some, I'm guessing most, of those shinobi were just living their lives, serving the village without regard to the machinations of the people in charge. But now, the Seal drives a wedge between the Uchiha and the rest of the village."

Takeshi looked like he was starting to see where Naruto was going. He cocked his head, losing his look of confusion and gesturing for Naruto to continue.

"I don't want to be Hokage in a village where I can't trust the shinobi at my back," Naruto declared. "A force that's divided amongst itself cannot be as strong as if it were united. Any first-year Cadet could tell you that. But as long as the Seal exists, branding non-Uchiha as different, dangerous, not to be trusted… Konoha will always be weak."

Akemi was not remotely convinced, and a look of outright fear washed over her face. "Are you insane? You can't talk like that about the village – what if somebody hears you?"

"Akemi, please, listen to what I'm saying! You trust me, right?"

Akemi froze, affronted. "Of course! With my life."

"But I had to earn your respect, didn't I? I wasn't an Uchiha to begin with, just some nobody off the street. Madara gave me a chance, and you did, too. It's the same chance that Takeshi got." Naruto nodded to the half-blood Uchiha, who looked down at Hinamaru with a melancholy smile. "Takeshi wouldn't have Hinamaru if we didn't acknowledge the abilities of the other clans. I'm telling you this because you two are the closest friends I have in the world, and also because I trust you more than anyone: I want to get rid of the Seal. That's my dream – a Konoha where we stand side-by-side, nothing keeping us together except loyalty and friendship."

Naruto grimaced, because his dream seemed so impossible to achieve. "I don't think Madara agrees with me – forget that, I _know_ he doesn't. He's still living with the mindset that the Uchiha clan is under attack. I won't be able to change his mind easily, but I'm going to try. That's why I'm asking you two: are you with me? Will you follow me down this road, no matter how tough it might be?"

"You don't have to ask me, Naruto," Takeshi said, shaking his head fiercely. "You know I'm right behind you. I follow where you lead. Period."

Akemi was more hesitant. "You… is this what you've been thinking about recently? Is that why you've been so quiet?"

"Yeah. It hasn't been easy, deciding to go against my father like this. He has his reasons for wanting security, and it's because I understand them that this decision was so difficult. But I won't change my mind. The Seals need to go, no matter how tough a task that turns out to be. I'm going to use this mission as a first step to showing that Sealed shinobi are every bit as capable and loyal as the Uchiha."

Akemi locked eyes with Naruto, staring as if she could plumb the depths of his mind if she just looked hard enough. Finally, she broke eye contact with an exasperated snort. "You know I never wanted you to be squad leader. I thought I was better than you… and in some areas, I still do. I _know_ I'm smarter than you." She laughed when Naruto cried out a short protest. "But you… you break the rules. And somehow, every time, things work out better your way. I'm not gonna get all sentimental like this big pussy," she said, punching Takeshi in the shoulder. "But still, I'll… you know… follow you."

Naruto coughed, worried that he was getting a little too choked up himself. "Hmph, all right, then. I'm going to go ahead with this. Tomorrow when I meet with Father, I'll tell him that I want to the second team to be made up of Sealed shinobi. If- I mean, _when_ the mission goes well, I'll take the next step. With a little luck, we can build up trust between the Uchiha and the Sealed shinobi, and then experiment with removing the Seal from a few shinobi as a kind of trial period. In a few years, maybe, Konoha could be at one with itself."

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched," Akemi advised. "I doubt you'll even get Madara to let you bring a team of Sealed shinobi on a diplomatic mission. If by some miracle he agrees, even then it only takes one screw-up to ruin your little plan before it even starts."

"That's why I'm going to pick the second team very carefully," Naruto pointed out. "I've seen them in action and I know they're right for the job. I think you'll like them. They're very… youthful."

**A/N: **This was a tough chapter to write, especially as it's been a while since inspiration struck. Still, it gets the ball rolling. Now that I've started writing _Rise_ again, I hope to stay with it for a while. Be sure to review!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Finally, another chapter! I'm really liking how things are shaping up – this arc is firing up my imagination in a way that the last one didn't. I hope it does the same for you. Next chapter Naruto and his squad will reach Ame, and Hinata will meet a character who has yet to make his debut in this story.

Please, please review! It will encourage me to spend less time on work and more on writing. Until next time!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 29**

Hinata wanted to move, but her feet were riveted to the ground. A desperate voice in her head was telling her to flee _now_, before Tsunade finished closing the distance between them. From somewhere behind Hinata, Jiraiya let out a whimper of pain. Clearly Hinata couldn't count on being rescued by _him_. And still Tsunade advanced, her brow creased thunderously, lightning practically shooting from her eyes. She stopped mere inches from Hinata, looming aggressively overhead.

_Stay calm, _Hinata thought. _She's only trying to intimidate you._

The truthful part of her mind answered, _Well, she's doing a damn good job!_

Her fists quivered, but Hinata stood her ground. Tsunade peered down at Hinata. "You're too young to fall in with lecherous old men. Can't you find a nice boy your own age to play with?"

Hinata kept silent, tilting her head down as if embarrassed. But underneath the hood, her byakugan was activated, and she watched Tsunade through the thin fabric of her disguise.

Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. "What, are you mute or just stupid? Out with it, girl! What did he offer you to get you to follow him to a place like this?"

Hinata froze. It was amazing, really, how quickly anger erased fear. She raised her head, throwing back the hood and exposing not only her Hyuuga eyes, but her seal as well. She locked eyes with the legendary sannin. "What did he offer me?" Hinata repeated softly. Her voice fell to a whisper, charged with feverish yet controlled emotion. "_Freedom_."

Tsunade took a step back, while Shizune sprang forward to protect her sensei in case Hinata was preparing to attack. "It's all right, Shizune," Tsunade said, her eyes never leaving Hinata's. "Pull that hood back down, girl. You don't want anyone in this town to get a glimpse of that seal on your forehead."

"There's no one around for a hundred meters in any direction," Hinata retorted, her anger filling her with strength. "They're still running away."

"Cover it anyway," Tsunade ordered. "I don't want to look at it."

Hinata complied, but not before muttering, "None of us do. But that doesn't make a difference to the Uchiha."

With her enhanced peripheral vision, Hinata saw Jiraiya approaching from behind. Tsunade shifted her attention to him, dismissing Hinata completely. "You shouldn't have brought her here, Jiraiya. Leave now, while I'm still being nice."

"Come on, Tsunade. At least hear us out." Jiraiya glanced at Hinata, then away. "The poor girl has been through hell. Can't you give her a few minutes? We're not your enemies, after all!"

"I'd say you are," Tsunade shot back. "Anyone who puts me in danger is an enemy, and this surely counts. What were you thinking, smuggling a Hyuuga out of the village? There's bound to be a team tracking her down as we speak. I want no part of it."

Jiraiya shook his head patiently. "Not at all. I replaced her with an agent of Kumo – one of the Fukumen clan. The Uchiha won't discover that Hinata's gone until the invasion begins, and then they'll have bigger things to worry about than a single runaway."

Tsunade frowned. "You're still obsessed with your foolish crusade? Sarutobi's dead, Jiraiya. Let go of the past, and move on."

Jiraiya barked a laugh that had no humor in it. "You think _I _can't let go of the past? Which one of us still can't stand the sight of blood? Tell me when you've forgotten Dan and Nawaki, Tsunade, and I'll stop my so-called 'foolish crusade' immediately."

Tsunade flushed an angry red.

"This isn't about the past for me," Jiraiya went on. "Sensei is gone, and nothing I do can change that. I can't resurrect the clan heads, and I can't help the living reunite with their departed loved ones. But what I'm doing isn't revenge on behalf of the dead – I'm fighting for Konoha's future, for the thousands of people who might not _have_ a future if things stay the way they are. It's a good fight… the only one worth fighting. And we need you, Tsunade."

Hinata didn't need her byakugan to see the older kunoichi flinch. It gave Hinata hope, but then Tsunade shook her head violently, her hair whipping back and forth. "No. What you need is to realize that it's done. Over. Madara's won. Anything you do will only cause more bloodshed; can't you see that?"

Through the wooden wall to Hinata's left, she saw a flash of movement with her byakugan. After sharpening her focus, Hinata realized that there were several figures in uniforms cautiously approaching the gambling den from the street outside.

"Jiraiya," she spoke up sharply, "we have company. Five of them, moving to block the exits."

The Toad Hermit sighed. "Looks like the party's over. We should take our leave before they get a look at our faces. Listen Tsunade, meet us tonight at my safe house downtown, near the factory. We'll talk then."

Tsunade snorted rudely. "Forget that. I'm leaving here and putting some serious distance between myself and this town. Don't follow me, or I'll break a few of your bones next time."

"Please, Tsunade." Jiraiya held out his hands, entreating. "Give me thirty minutes tonight. For old times' sake, if not for me. I won't ask you to join our cause, not if you don't want to."

The men were getting closer, readying kunai and lead-tipped batons. This close, Hinata could tell they were shinobi – they moved with cautious assurance and grace, and each carried enough weapons for a small armory.

Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, then down at the ground. "Whatever you think I can give you… you're wrong. I'm not the person you remember."

"I know you too well to believe that," Jiraiya answered solemnly. "Your soul is weary, bruised – but not broken. There is more to you than this." He swept his arm around, gesturing to the gambling tables, the dim, cracked lights, and the dusty countertop of the bar.

Hinata almost jumped as Tsunade abruptly turned away, shutting out Jiraiya as firmly as if she had shut a door in his face. A second passed in silence, stretching until Hinata thought the tension would drive her insane. Finally, Tsunade spoke.

"I'll draw them off. These shinobi are probably after me to settle my debt, anyway. Wait until they follow me, and then get out of here."

With no other warning, Tsunade walked away toward the front door, where the shinobi were waiting. Hinata hoped they didn't get in Tsunade's way – after seeing how easily Tsunade had handled Jiraiya, Hinata didn't think shinobi working security in Tanzaku Town stood much of a chance.

Since Tsunade was walking away from them, all Jiraiya saw was the back of her head. But with her byakugan, Hinata saw a little more. She saw the single tear making its way slowly down Tsunade's cheek.

A second later Tsunade disappeared, moving with such speed that Hinata couldn't track her even with the byakugan. The shouts that went up in her absence signaled that the lurking shinobi had decided to chase her.

Shizune had not followed Tsunade – instead, she was still staring at Jiraiya, her eyes burning with something akin to hope.

"I'll get her to the safe house tonight," Shizune said suddenly, catching Hinata off-guard. "She has a good heart, but she tries not to listen to it to avoid getting hurt again. I know you can change her mind. I feel it."

Then she was gone, off in pursuit of her mentor.

Now they were the only two left in the bar. Jiraiya gave Hinata an encouraging smile. "That went better than I expected. But I have a feeling that the rest will be up to you."

oOoOo

Naruto listlessly pushed some rice around in his bowl with his chopsticks, the memory of that day souring his appetite. He'd known that this mission was a long shot, and that tensions within the village might get worse before they got better. But he hadn't expected things to go south even before they'd left the village, for Kami's sake! Naruto shuddered, remembering how the mission he'd planned around harmony and cooperation had turned out to be anything but.

_The morning of the mission, General Fugaku met Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi at the Hokage's Tower, and together they set out for Konoha's main gate. Awaiting them was the second team that Naruto had chosen, led by Might Guy, the famous Green Beast of Konoha. Naruto had done his research before choosing another jonin, and he couldn't wait to see Guy in action. As for Guy's genin, Naruto already felt like he knew what to expect from them. Lee had impressed Naruto already, both with his strength and his determination to protect his friends. Neji and Tenten were still unknown variables, but Naruto was willing to be optimistic._

_The two genin squads sized each other up silently, not wanting to be the first to speak. Strangely, General Fugaku was staring just as intently at Guy. A sneer curled his lip, and his voice dripped with scorn when he spoke._

"_Might Guy, hm? An interesting choice, although given how much you stand out from the crowd, I guess it's no surprise that Naruto picked you."_

_Guy gave a deep bow that seemed to Naruto to be laden with irony. "I'm honored to have been chosen for such an important mission," Guy said. "But I do wonder what I can contribute. It seems this is to be a diplomatic mission, and diplomacy is far too confusing for a simple man like me." His smile was open, bright, humble, and – Naruto felt sure – completely false._

_General Fugaku's answering smile was pure venom. "I'm certain we can find something for you to do. Meeting with village leaders always generates mountains of paperwork; perhaps you can carry them for us?"_

_Naruto winced internally. He didn't know what Fugaku's issue was with Guy, but it was clear that there was one. It was also clear that this mission was not starting off on the right foot._

_Guy laughed brightly, a deep belly laugh that shook his sides. "Excellent - that sounds like something even I couldn't mess up! I can understand you not wanting to carry all that around yourself – that leg of yours must make heavy lifting even more of a burden."_

_The lines around Fugaku's mouth tightened, and for a second he glanced down at his missing leg. The prosthesis he was wearing had been specifically designed to withstand high-speed motion in rocky terrain, and it was grafted directly onto the flesh so that it wouldn't break under the shock and strain of battle. The result was constant pain, as Naruto noticed every time Fugaku failed to hold back a grimace. Guy was surely playing with fire, to taunt the General about his missing leg._

_Fugaku's face once more became an impenetrable mask. "I'll try to keep up," he said acidly. "Now let's go over mission parameters. There is only one rule – follow your orders. That goes for you, Guy, and double for your genin. We will not hesitate to punish you for any failure in your duties. Is that understood?"_

_Guy performed a perfect military salute in parody of an officer of the Konoha Military Police. "Sir, yes sir!"_

"_Your levity worries me," Fugaku said with a sigh. "Perhaps you need a reminder of the gravity of our mission." Without any other warning, he activated Guy's seal._

_Naruto lurched forward, but the damage had already been done. The seal on Guy's forehead glowed brightly, delivering unbearable pain to its victim. Naruto noticed Neji put a hand on Lee's shoulder, stopping the younger boy from leaping to his sensei's side. Lee's hands were curled into fists that were shaking with suppressed rage._

_As for Guy, he didn't make a sound. A vein in his neck bulged, the only sign that he was being tortured. At that moment, Naruto felt as though he was seeing with new eyes. He knew the reasons for keeping the seals – he could recite them in his sleep, and he knew that the Uchiha couldn't trust many of the shinobi who had once plotted to kill them._

_But here, now, none of those reasons could justify General Fugaku activating Guy's seal. As Naruto watched Fugaku continue to inflict pain on Guy, he saw the emotionless mask slip. There was only one possible conclusion from the unholy light in the General's eyes: Fugaku was enjoying this. That was the deciding factor for Naruto. He respected Fugaku's strength, and he had learned a lot from the man, but he wasn't going to let his petty revenge ruin Naruto's dream of a Konoha at peace with itself._

"_Stop!" Naruto commanded, approaching Fugaku with every intention of disrupting the torture jutsu himself if his order wasn't obeyed. Fugaku turned to Naruto with a look of utter surprise – it was the same look shared by the five genin watching him. The only one who didn't look surprised was Guy, as the only discernible emotion in his face was relief at the sudden cessation of pain. Fugaku looked at Naruto with disbelieving eyes._

"_I beg your pardon?"_

_Naruto couldn't back down now, so he gathered his courage. "I told you to stop, General. Guy did nothing wrong, so your punishment is misplaced."_

"_I think you overstep yourself, boy," Fugaku hissed._

"_Not if I understood my orders from Madara correctly," Naruto said immediately. "You're here to advise, but I'm the one in charge of this mission. And I'm telling you right now that I won't stand for you activating a shinobi's seal unless they are guilty of treason. I will consider any further punishment as a direct act of insubordination, and respond accordingly. Is that understood?"_

_Fugaku's iron self-control resurfaced, and he inclined his head a fraction of an inch. "Yes. You're in charge, boy. But I have to say, I thought I trained you better than this. If you're too soft to do what's necessary, the world will chew you up and spit you out. Madara will hear of this when we return to Konoha."_

"_Of course," Naruto agreed. "Now if there's nothing further, perhaps we should get going. Arguing isn't going to get us any closer to Ame."_

_Fugaku set off toward the main gate without another word, leaving Naruto with the uncomfortable feeling that he'd just made an enemy. And with the possible exception of Madara himself, Naruto didn't think he could have picked a worst person to piss off._

_As the remaining seven shinobi began to follow Fugaku, most still shocked from the tense confrontation, Naruto became increasingly conscious of Might Guy's gaze. The spandex-clad jonin was watching him with the strangest expression on his face, as if Naruto was a puzzle he was itching to figure out._

Naruto had definitely not made things easier for himself by countermanding Fugaku's order. Pulling rank on the General in front of the Sealed shinobi was a humiliation for the older man, and not one he was likely to forget. So far on their journey Fugaku hadn't spoken to Naruto except in terse sentences.

Part of Naruto wished that he could have picked a Sealed jonin who wasn't so clearly a bitter enemy of Fugaku's, but another part realized that this kind of conflict was unavoidable. Fugaku and Guy had once been on opposite sides of a battlefield, and getting them to work together would not be easy. They both had scars from the past, physical and emotional. The healing process would be long and difficult, but so was anything worth pursuing. Naruto's determination didn't wane, even though he had a new appreciation for just how difficult his job was going to be.

As bad as Guy and Fugaku were – and they circled each other like wolves, just waiting for an opening – the genin were little better. Naruto had hoped that coming to Guy's aid might win him a little goodwill, but that didn't seem to be the case. Following Neji's lead, Guy's team kept to themselves and spoke only when spoken to. Akemi and Takeshi were also keeping a low profile, because they didn't want to get caught up in the tension between Naruto and Fugaku. So the first day of the mission was one of the worst days Naruto could remember, filled with uncomfortable silences and covert glances.

Naruto put aside his bowl from dinner and stood up, stretching his legs. Akemi and Takeshi were beside him, stretched out on their bedrolls. The genin of Team Guy were huddled several feet away, their cold aloofness making the short distance seem a much wider gulf. Naruto caught Lee looking over at him a few times, and each time he thought the boy with the bushy eyebrows would say something. But every time, Lee looked away.

Guy and General Fugaku were both out of the campsite, scouting in opposite directions. As he scanned the area, Naruto realized that this was a perfect opportunity to approach his problem head-on. Both jonin were away, so it was possible to get the genin talking without the adults overhearing. One step at a time – even if General Fugaku was unwilling to give up his deep-seated anger, Naruto felt sure he could win over shinobi his own age.

In the absence of any better ideas, Naruto decided for the blunt approach. He got up from his seat, ignoring the curious glances from Akemi and Takeshi, and walked over to where Team Guy was sitting. Tenten was playing idly with a kunai, twirling it around her fingers in a dance that was as beautiful as it was deadly. When she sensed Naruto's approach the knife stilled, then fell from her hand.

"Hey guys," Naruto said, trying for a brightness that he didn't feel. "Mind if I grab a seat?"

"You are our captain," Neji replied coldly. "You may sit anywhere you please."

"Well, then… don't mind if I do!" Naruto plunked himself down in between Tenten and Lee's bedrolls. Then he waved over Akemi and Takeshi, who were watching him with varying degrees of amusement. "Come on, guys, there's plenty of room for all of us!"

Soon enough all six genin were arranged in a tight circle, and Naruto had everyone's attention. He took a deep breath, wondering how to begin.

"You already know I picked you for this mission," Naruto said finally. "I picked you because I've seen you in action, and I think I can count on you to handle yourselves in a tough situation."

Akemi snorted, drawing a swift glare from Naruto and a soft jab in the ribs from Takeshi. Naruto was pleased to see a flash of anger in Tenten's eyes, suggesting that the other kunoichi didn't appreciate being looked down on. Naruto hoped that Akemi's scorn would goad the other shinobi into showing exactly how strong they really were, after which Akemi would realize their true potential as allies.

"Don't mind Akemi," Naruto said. "She gets a little… competitive sometimes, but that's a good thing when we know who our real enemies are."

Akemi threw a punch that stopped short just before Naruto's nose. "Don't you talk about me like I'm not even here! Just because you're supposedly in charge doesn't mean I can't kick your ass, so you'd best watch it!"

Naruto blinked, looking down cross-eyed at the finger now pointing threateningly towards his face. "I got it, yikes!"

When he determined that no further attack was forthcoming, Naruto continued. "There's another reason I picked this team, and I thought it best to tell you directly. Akemi and Takeshi already know. Here it is: I want to get rid of the seals for good."

The responses to this declaration were not quite what he'd been hoping. Tenten watched him with wary disbelief, and Neji's face was blank except for a slight ironic twist to his mouth. Lee at least looked marginally hopeful.

"I know that there's still a lot of bad blood between Sealed shinobi and the Uchiha," Naruto said. _Understatement of the century, that._ "But somewhere the cycle of hatred has to end. Konoha needs to be whole again, otherwise it can never be strong. I want this mission to be the first step towards proving that Sealed shinobi are every bit as dependable as the Uchiha. Can I count on your help?"

Lee and Tenten both looked to Neji to respond. When he did, it was disappointingly bland. "You can always count on us to serve the village faithfully."

_Go slow_, Naruto reminded himself. _Konoha wasn't built in a day, and it won't be rebuilt that quickly, either. All you can do now is try to demonstrate your sincerity._

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, "and I get that you might not trust me yet. You have no reason to, and that's fine. But I can promise you this: I will never activate your seals. Never, not even if one of you tries to kill me. I'm going to treat you as if the seals didn't exist, because in my vision of Konoha, they don't."

At this point it seemed that Neji couldn't control himself any longer. His chin jutted out aggressively, and his eyes rose to meet Naruto's. "What a nice vision it must be. All of us skipping around together, hand-in-hand. Somehow I doubt that General Fugaku shares your sentiments."

"I'm sure he doesn't," Naruto replied coolly. "The older people get, the harder it is for them to change. But Konoha needs to change, and I'm going to change it. You can help me, or you can come along for the ride. But no matter what you do, you'll never be my enemy. I just want to make that clear, before we get any deeper into this mission."

There was a tense silence in which no one was really sure what to say next. But Naruto noticed something that cheered him up. While they had been talking, Hinamaru had left Takeshi's side and stealthily approached Tenten. Now the irrepressible hound was nuzzling up against Tenten's side, and the deadly kunoichi was scratching the puppy's head, seemingly without even realizing it. It wasn't exactly what he'd call a victory, but the sight made Naruto feel that perhaps hope wasn't lost.

The two teams eyed each other warily, separated by a bloody past and a sea of terrible memories. _This is just the beginning, _Naruto thought. _They'll get along if I have to drag them every step of the way!_

Rock Lee broke the silence suddenly by swatting Tenten's hand away from Hinamaru. "I want to say hello!" Hinamaru extended one paw solemnly for Rock Lee to shake, which he did with exaggerated politeness. Naruto laughed out loud, his heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.

"His name is Hinamaru," Takeshi said, "and he likes it when you scratch his ears."

oOoOo

Later that night, Hinata waited with Jiraiya in the safe house. It wasn't really a house, more of an abandoned warehouse, with boxes of unidentifiable junk and rat traps in every corner. It seemed that Jiraiya hadn't been to Tanzaku Town in quite a while, because the whole place seemed to be coated in a film of dust an inch thick. Jiraiya had set her to work cleaning it by using a Water jutsu he'd taught her; Hinata ended up making a miniature ocean in the middle of the warehouse before she got the hang of it. At least the dust was gone, but it took a long time for Hinata to dry out the floor with repeated use of a low-level Fire jutsu.

While Hinata was wreaking havoc on the warehouse, Jiraiya told her more about Tsunade. Hinata felt pity for the woman, once she heard the full story about Nawaki and Dan. It was a harsh thing, to lose everyone you loved. But Hinata still couldn't agree with Tsunade's decision to retreat from the world. Hinata hadn't fallen apart when her family died, in part because Hanabi was counting on her. If Hinata had half of Tsunade's strength or knowledge, she wouldn't waste it in a back-alley casino with a bottle of sake.

The night wore on, and Hinata began to despair of meeting with Tsunade. Perhaps Shizune had been unable to persuade her, and even now the Slug Sannin was making tracks for another town where she could spend money she didn't have. But whenever she asked Jiraiya, he only said, "patience."

Almost an hour before midnight, Jiraiya picked up his head and looked around, suddenly alert.

"What is it?" Hinata asked. Jiraiya only smiled.

There was a crash, and the front door swung inward. Tsunade strode in, wearing what Hinata now believed must be her customary scowl. Shizune followed, giving Hinata and Jiraiya a thumbs up that Tsunade couldn't see.

"Let's get this over with," Tsunade sighed. "Tell me what you came here to tell me, so I can refuse and go on my way."

"You're smarter than that," Jiraiya shot back. "You know you're the only medical specialist alive with chakra control delicate enough to probe the seal without killing its bearer."

"Of course I know that," Tsunade huffed, "but I hoped that _you_ would know not to insult my intelligence by asking for my help. You think I want to make an enemy of Madara? Even supposing I _could_ do something about the seal, once he got his hands on the girl and tortured her into giving up my name, my life wouldn't be worth a single ryou. He'd come after me personally, if only to ensure that his foolproof system stays foolproof. I'd prefer not to sign my own death warrant, thank you very much."

Jiraiya sent Hinata a look that was so fiercely protective it made her feel like nothing could hurt her. "He's not going to get that chance, Tsunade. I'll make sure of that."

"You're not in a position to be making those promises, Jiraiya. Madara is beyond our knowledge – Kami, we don't even know if he's human! He's lived for over seventy years without aging, and he took down Sarutobi without blinking an eye! Fighting him is suicide, and helping his enemies is the same."

Jiraiya had a mulish look that Hinata recognized from their time on the road – it meant that he was not going to budge. "If you knew what I was going to ask already, why did you even bother coming here? It's because deep down, you know you want to help!"

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "I came because I owe you that much. And besides, I have some advice for the girl."

Tsunade turned to Hinata, who caught her breath, surprised at being so suddenly addressed. "Listen, girl. Maybe you haven't realized it yet, but this is your chance. If you really have a spy from Kumo taking your place, then you have the chance at a new life. If you're smart, you'll take it. The Uchiha don't look twice at servants, so you could grow old on the outside, maybe start a family, and not have to worry about them activating your seal. I'll even put you in touch with one of my contacts, someone who can cover up your seal with cosmetic surgery. What do you think?"

Hinata had been growing angrier by the second as she listened to Tsunade's speech, and now she was truly livid. "What do I _think_? I think if you say another word, I'm going to kill you! How dare you even dream of telling me to run away? Do you know how much I've been through, how hard I've had to work to get this chance?"

Tsunade drew herself up to her full height. "Be careful, girl."

"I'm _done_ being careful! I was careful for over half my life, from the moment my father and grandfather were cut down right in front of me. I kept my head down, and I closed my eyes to the suffering of everyone I loved. Now I have the chance to save them – my sister and grandmother, my cousins, my friends… and you would have me leave them behind? You make me sick."

Hinata drew a deep breath, propelled forward by the momentum of her fury. "What would Dan say if he could see you turning your back on the village? What would Nawaki say if he knew you had the power to change things for the better, but you didn't even try? You're a coward, and you shame the memory of the people who loved you."

Hinata stopped, feeling deflated somehow. Tsunade stood there, her whole body shaking with repressed emotion. "Are you done?" she asked in a clipped, dangerous tone.

"Yes, I'm done. I don't even know why Jiraiya brought us here. Someone like you can't possibly be strong enough to help Konoha, even if you could be bothered to. I wish you a long life together with your cowardice."

Hinata stalked toward the door, so angry that there were spots at the edge of her vision.

"Stop. Right. There." Tsunade's voice trembled with rage. "You have made a very serious mistake, girl. You've assumed that I'm the kind of person who will exercise restraint because you're a child. Unfortunately for you, you've managed to really piss me off. Outside. Now."

Tsunade disappeared with a crack, leaving Hinata to reflect that she'd just provoked a grudge match with one of the world's most powerful shinobi. Shizune came forward, looking frightened.

"I've never seen her that angry," Shizune whispered. "I'm afraid of what she's going to do. I don't think you should go out there."

"I've only seen her like this once before," Jiraiya answered, looking awed, "and believe me, staying in here would only make it worse. Hinata brought this on, and now she's got to face the music."

Jiraiya looked at Hinata and gave a weak chuckle. "It was nice knowing you."

oOoOo

The next time Fugaku and Guy went scouting and left the genin in charge of the camp, Naruto decided to have them all spar together. He paired Akemi with Tenten and Takeshi with Lee, and himself with Neji, guessing that those pairings would be the least mis-matched. "This is the best way for us to figure out each others' strengths," Naruto explained. "If we get into any trouble in Ame, we need to be able to rely on each other. That means we have to get a sense of how everybody else fights."

Naruto wasn't sure about any of the other genin, but he was looking forward to this. Neji was as cold and aloof as the first time they'd met, and Naruto hoped a proper fight would get the Hyuuga's blood pumping a bit. It was clear as day that Neji had a lot of anger locked up inside him, and Naruto wanted him to tap into that anger.

The genin divided the central clearing of their campsite into three areas, marking off rough boundaries with their kunai. Then Naruto gave the signal to begin. From the very beginning, it was clear that something was off.

Neji was skilled at taijutsu, and no mistake. But if he was fighting at the top of his ability, then Naruto would eat his shirt. Neji was staying on the defensive, but it was more than that. Neji was fighting to lose, deliberately not going all out. Naruto started leaving obvious openings, but Neji didn't take them. His blocks had perfect form, but they were slow and uninspired. This wasn't the shinobi that Naruto had expected from the way Lee and Tenten looked up to him. Each time Naruto landed a blow, Neji acknowledged the hit with a nod and kept fighting in the same lackluster way.

Naruto signaled for a halt, trying hard to hide his disgust, and looked at the other two bouts. It was the same story. Akemi was wiping the floor with Tenten, not even bothering to activate her sharingan. Naruto had seen the way Tenten had toyed with her knife earlier, but now she wasn't using edged weapons at all, only retreating before Akemi's assault and launching occasional weak counterattacks with her fists and feet.

Lee's match made Naruto even angrier, because he had already seen Lee in action. The boy with the bowl cut had floored three Uchiha cadets, one of whom was chuunin-level, in less time than it took to blink. Now he was barely keeping Takeshi at bay, and the half-blood Inuzuka clearly wasn't fighting at his full ability.

Naruto looked back at Neji, wondering what was going on. Why would they consciously hold back? Maybe to keep Uchiha from knowing the full extent of their abilities? But Naruto didn't think that was likely. No… from the defiant look on Neji's face, it seemed that this was merely a strategy meant to prove that Team Guy wasn't going to cooperate with Naruto or his goals. This refusal to fight was a sign of rebellion, but one that Naruto could hardly punish them for. Not that he would have anyway – the only kind of punishment Naruto ever wanted to dish out was a well-deserved ass-kicking, and that would only happen when his opponent was capable of fighting back.

Something had to be done about this. This pathetic excuse for sparring would stop, and stop _now_, or Naruto would know the reason why. Neji called out to Naruto: "Are you tired already? We can take a break, if you'd like."

Naruto smiled sweetly at his opponent. "Oh, I'm good for now. I'll let you know when I get tired." As he dropped into a ready stance, he drew on some of the Kyuubi's chakra. He felt the familiar rush as raw power flowed through his veins. This time when Naruto lunged, Neji's block was far too slow. Naruto darted in, enjoying the slight look of shock on Neji's face as he experienced a fraction of Naruto's true speed. Naruto's punch would have landed flush on Neji's jaw, but at the last second Naruto opened his hand and left a stinging slap on Neji's cheek.

The Hyuuga's pale face flushed with embarrassment at the humiliating tactic. "You were a little slow there," Naruto taunted. "Next time you might want to use those fancy eyes of yours."

_Come on, you bastard, _Naruto crowed triumphantly. _Let's see what you've got!_

But all Neji said was, "Impressive. You are far faster than I had imagined."

Naruto shook his head. So Neji wasn't quite pissed off enough yet, huh? He knew how to fix that. Naruto poured on even more speed, circling Neji and darting in for quick strikes. He evaded Neji's blocks with ease, and each time he slapped Neji in the face before retreating. With each strike Naruto thought Neji would lash out, but the Hyuuga bore it patiently. In fact, it was Naruto who was starting to lose his cool. It was getting harder and harder not to really punch the smug bastard in the face, and finally Naruto stopped his slap short and swept his right leg, sending Neji crashing to the dirt.

"Have you had enough?" Naruto demanded. "Or are you going to start trying now?"

Neji picked himself up and carefully brushed some of the dirt off his flak jacket. "You do seem to be beating me fairly easily. Perhaps I should train before we spar again."

Neji's carefully neutral tone was so infuriating that Naruto entertained a brief vision of sending him flying back into the nearest tree. But then he had a better idea.

A burst of speed brought Naruto close to Neji. He reached out and gripped the other boy's arm, causing the Hyuuga to tense. Naruto leaned in until their noses were practically touching. "Is this all you've got?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Pathetic. Hinata was worth ten of you. No wonder the Hyuuga clan has a Main and Branch family, so that trash like you won't weaken the bloodline."

Something flashed in Neji's eyes, something dark and raw. Neji moved quicker than Naruto would have believed possible, disabling the arm keeping hold of him with one jyuuken strike and sending a follow-up jab into Naruto's stomach. There was an immediate explosion of agony from his midsection, which spread until it seemed to Naruto that all his existence was consumed by pain. He knew without doubt that at least one of his vital organs had ruptured, maybe more.

Naruto couldn't move his left arm, but his fingers still tightened convulsively, keeping Neji close. Naruto acted with the speed of much practice, retreating from the outside world to access the outer level of his mindscape. He drew deeply from the well of the Kyuubi's chakra, sending it directly to repair the damage to his organs. Just as he'd thought, his liver was ruptured and his kidneys and stomach were badly damaged. If Neji had struck closer to the heart, Naruto would have died instantly.

As it was, Naruto was able to fix the integrity of his organs and accelerate their healing, but at the cost of almost all of the Kyuubi's chakra that he could safely draw on without needing to manifest one of the Kyuubi's tails. Even as the pain began to recede, Naruto was cursing like a sailor. _It'll take me months to siphon off enough power to replace what I've lost!_ Still, on second reflection, Naruto decided that he preferred a depleted chakra well to death.

Once Naruto finished directing the healing chakra to his organs, he left his mindscape. Only a second had passed, and Neji was still standing less than a foot away, Naruto's immobilized arm keeping him fixed in place. The Hyuuga boy looked horrified, no doubt still trying to come to terms with what he'd been goaded into doing.

Naruto swiveled to make sure that his near-death experience had gone unnoticed by his teammates. Luckily, they were still engaged in their bouts with Lee and Tenten. With the Kyuubi's chakra busily working to repair Naruto's organs, nothing remained of Neji's attack but the memory of it – well, that and the pain, which was excruciating. Neji watched Naruto, probably waiting for him to collapse and cough up blood. Well then, Naruto was about to disappoint him.

Naruto leaned in again, gritting his teeth. "Now _that's_ more like it!" Neji's eyebrows widened slowly. "I'm tired of this crap," Naruto went on. "You lead them. Tell them to stop holding back. They won't be punished for it – you have my word."

Neji stared back at him, his white eyes wide as saucers. Finally, he stepped away, letting Naruto's arm fall back to his side. "Lee, Tenten," Neji called out.

The other two bouts came to a halt as they turned to their teammate. "No more games," Neji said quietly, yet firmly. "Show them what you've got."

Tenten hesitated, until Akemi gave a scornful snort.

"Oh, that does it!" Tenten snapped, reaching into her belt pouch with one hand. She pulled out a scroll that spread in the air and disappeared with a puff of smoke, revealing a matched set of beautiful katana. Tenten snatched them out of the air, and gestured to Akemi. "You swing that sword like a butcher. Let me teach you a thing or two."

Naruto couldn't keep the grin off his face as Akemi charged. _This_ was what he'd hoped for! Akemi and Tenten crossed blades with a furious clanging of steel. They exchanged a flurry of blows too swift for Naruto to follow, but a second later Akemi's katana went soaring through the air. At the same time, Tenten reversed one of her blades and cracked Akemi across the jaw with the hilt.

Takeshi started forward, crying out, "Akemi!" But somehow Rock Lee appeared in his path, one hand outstretched. He bowed his head, saying politely, "I believe I am your opponent."

Takeshi emitted a growl from deep within his throat, and snarled, "Get out of my way."

Akemi picked herself up, wiping away a trickle of blood with the back of her hand. Tenten retrieved Akemi's fallen sword and tossed it across the clearing. Akemi caught it with an angry snarl. Her irises began to swirl, fading and then resolving into the two-teardrop shape of her sharingan. "So that's how you want to play it, huh? Fine – let's go another round. Takeshi, if you take one more step towards me I'll stab you myself. Focus on eyebrow guy, and let me fight my own battles."

Takeshi sighed. "As you wish." He regarded Lee with curiosity. "So what skills have you been hiding?"

In answer, Rock Lee extended his hands. A pair of concealed weights fell from his sleeves, landing with such force that the ground shook. He kicked his legs, one after another, and two ankle weights went flying toward a nearby tree. The trunk splintered from the impact, sending chunks of bark in every direction.

Takeshi grinned with anticipation, crouching a little lower and bringing his claws up in a guard position. "I think this is going to be fun."

Naruto felt a rush of exhilaration when Lee sprang into motion, becoming a green blur impossible to track with the naked eye. Rather than watch his teammates' new bouts, Naruto turned back to Neji. The Hyuuga warrior had split his attention between the practice bouts and Naruto, the set lines of his face showing a tightly restrained fury. "Are you satisfied?"

"Not quite," Naruto replied, feeling the adrenaline begin to kick in. His left arm still hung limp against his side, a victim of Neji's earlier jyuuken strike, but that was an appropriate handicap since Naruto was now going to fight with the sharingan. "I think you owe me a rematch. Don't hold back this time."

Neji assumed the jyuuken stance. "I think it's too late for that."

oOoOo

Hinata's anger was alive and well, but now the strength it had lent her was sapped by cold fear. Tsunade radiated so much killing intent that Hinata could barely stand, let alone fight. Hinata had lashed out against someone much stronger – now she would have to experience the backlash. "You'll regret talking about Dan and Nawaki," Tsunade promised grimly. "I'd say I'm going to teach you a lesson, but you have to be alive to benefit from a lesson."

Tsunade punched the paved street, and Hinata knew immediately that she was in trouble. That single punch created a shockwave that tore through the ground, obliterating everything in its path. That would have included Hinata, but at the last second she threw off the effect of Tsunade's killing intent and jumped clear of the oncoming attack.

Tsunade attacked again, sending shockwave after shockwave at Hinata and turning the street next to Jiraiya's safe house into a scene from an apocalyptic nightmare. Safely out of the way, Jiraiya turned to Shizune and whispered, "I don't think the two of you are going to be welcomed back here any time soon." Tonton _oinked_ in seeming agreement.

Meanwhile, Hinata continued to dodge for her life. She stayed in constant motion while using her byakugan to track Tsunade's position. Now that she was fighting in earnest, Hinata found that her anger was quickly subsuming her fear. She began to work her way closer to Tsunade, determined not to let this woman keep her on the defensive.

Hinata waited for the right moment, when Tsunade lunged forward to close the distance. Hinata focused her chakra, then released it from all of her chakra points simultaneously. Combined with a furious clockwise rotation, her chakra formed a semi-solid barrier that repelled attacks in all directions. It was a high-level Hyuuga technique called Heavenly Rotation that Jiraiya had taught her while they were on the road. For someone incapable of using jyuuken style, Jiraiya was very well informed about Hyuuga clan techniques.

This time it reversed the flow of Tsunade's last attack, sending chunks of stone and pavement back at Tsunade. The Slug Sannin was forced to back up, before she came within range of Hinata's attack.

That was when Hinata stopper her rotation and charged. She closed the distance and threw herself recklessly at Tsunade. She only needed to land one blow, which would disable her opponent instantly. Unfortunately, it soon became clear Tsunade was one of the Legendary Sannin for a reason. She handled Hinata's attacks with contemptuous ease, and hit Hinata with a casual backhand slap that cracked a rib and sent her flying into a pile of rubble thirty feet away.

Hinata forced herself to her feet. The pain faded to nothing compared to her anger, but even in the grip of such strong emotion Hinata knew that it was hopeless. She couldn't hope to beat Tsunade, just as she couldn't hope to beat the Uchiha. That's what it all came down to, in the end. In a world of powerful shinobi, she was a mere blip on the periphery, a small girl who couldn't change anything.

With that realization came a kind of calm certainty, a trance-like state that Hinata embraced. She drew her kunai and walked forward, one deliberate step at a time.

"I hate the Uchiha," Hinata said calmly, locking eyes with Tsunade. "They've enslaved the entire village. They torture suspected traitors and execute them on a whim. They thrive on the suffering of others. But as much as I hate them, I think you're worse than they are. You do nothing, and have the arrogance to believe that you're not picking a side. You think you're staying out of this conflict? You might as well be wielding Madara's knife."

Hinata drew her kunai shallowly across her forehead, directly through the seal. She felt no pain whatsoever, only a tickling sensation as blood began to drip down her face. At the sight of the blood, Tsunade froze. Her hands started to tremble, a tiny motion that was still visible to Hinata's byakugan.

Hinata continued to walk forward, slowly, inexorably, her face streaked with red. "You don't get to avoid this fight. If you don't remove my seal, you kill me every bit as surely as if you stabbed me in the heart. I won't let you keep pretending that you can keep your hands clean. You either fight Madara, or you help him. There is no middle ground. So go ahead and do it – kill me yourself. Don't take the coward's way out." Hinata held out her kunai, hilt first.

Tsunade's hand spasmed, then shot forward. She grabbed the weapon, unable to look away from the crimson sheen on the blade. Then, with a sudden, spontaneous motion, Tsunade lashed out. The hilt of the kunai hit Hinata in the head. She slumped unconscious to the ground.

Tsunade stood over Hinata's motionless form, clutching the bloody kunai in a white-knuckle grip. Jiraiya approached her slowly, the Toad Sannin's steps careful and deliberate. "You didn't kill her," he said thoughtfully. "I thought you were going to, for a second there."

Tsunade made no reply. "I'm not asking you to fight with me on the front lines," Jiraiya said at last. "If it wasn't for the seal, I'd never have sought you out. You've lost enough to our way of life. But please, Tsunade – look at that girl. Look at how far she's come, how much of herself she's given. Her entire life has been taken from her, and still all she wants is for her people to be free. It's in your power to give her that chance."

Tsunade's hands spasmed again, and the bloody dagger slipped from her grip, falling point-first onto the street. She spoke with her back to Jiraiya, her voice a hollow, broken whisper. "I'm scared."

Jiraiya knew she wasn't talking about the blood. "I am, too," he whispered. "So is Hinata, but she fights through it every day. It's not only her. The children of the clan heads are alive, too. Sensei was right about the Will of Fire, Tsunade. The next generation is growing, and they will outshine us at our brightest. For them, for their sake, I won't let my fear overwhelm me."

Tsunade picked up the dagger, examining it closely. Her eyes narrowed. Jiraiya held his breath, waiting.

Tsunade wiped the blade on her shirt, and blood smeared messily onto the fabric. Then she brought the kunai to her palm, and drew it across in a shallow slice. She clenched her fist. Tsunade's face was ghastly pale, and tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"I'll remove her seal. For Dan, and for Nawaki. For sensei, who would give his life a thousand times if it meant freeing his people. For a little girl who's stronger than I ever was. But that's it, Jiraiya. That's all I can give."

Jiraiya rested his hand on her shoulder. "That's all I ask."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: **Here's the second-to-last chapter in this arc, and then everything will begin to converge in Konoha. I know my updates are slowing up, but please be patient – come summer, I'll be focusing only on writing, which means updates almost every other day. Until then, I hope this will tide you over. Also, if you haven't already, I urge you to check out some of my other stories, many of which I think are coming out just as good or better than Rise of the Uchiha.

That's it for now, so please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 30**

Contrary to what many people believed, Might Guy was not a fool. He was a highly capable jounin, and his skills of observation were as finely developed as his taijutsu… or close to, anyway. Therefore, when he encountered something that he didn't understand, it usually meant that there was something important going on underneath the surface.

Guy knew that his own appearance was one of his greatest weapons, as it usually caused other shinobi to write him off as an oddity, someone who could be overlooked. Sometimes that made him angry, especially when it was his Eternal Rival, Kakashi – Guy cut off his thought there, not wanting to think about his absent friend and rival.

The point was, Guy knew a mystery when he saw one, and Naruto was a mystery. The boy housing the Kyuubi was Madara's adopted son, and so no matter what his real parentage – and Guy had his suspicions on that score – Uchiha Naruto was an enemy to the Rebellion. What with the demon inside of him, he was probably their most dangerous enemy except for Madara himself. But Guy simply could not reconcile Naruto's status with the way the young man had been acting on this mission. He had stopped General Fugaku from torturing Guy, standing up to Madara's right-hand man as if he hadn't been the least bit scared. If Guy's instincts could be trusted, Naruto might have Flames of Youth to rival even Lee's!

However, this sneaking suspicion was by no means justified. To make an informed decision, Guy would need more opportunities to observe young Naruto and gather appropriate intelligence.

That was why Guy had been waiting so patiently for an opportunity to talk to Neji alone. The Hyuuga branch member, though psychologically damaged and not as youthful as Lee, was nevertheless a keen observer. If anyone could offer useful observations on the Hokage's heir, it would be Neji.

That afternoon provided the first opportunity since the two teams had departed from Konoha. They were close to the border with Amegakure, and General Fugaku decided to take Naruto on a scouting trip, leaving Guy behind to watch the genin.

Akemi and Tenten had immediately begun sparring, followed seconds later by Rock Lee and Takeshi. The two kunoichi appeared to have quite the rivalry, as they were fighting full-speed with razor-sharp katana. Guy applauded their youth even as he hoped that neither would seriously injure the other… but he had to say, Tenten's ability to keep up with a chuunin-level sharingan user brought joy to his heart. He had taught her well!

Guy spared a second to watch Lee as well. The boy he had raised and trained was smiling more widely than Guy could remember seeing in a while. He was matching his nunchaku against Takeshi's fascinating chakra-fueled claws, and the two of them were coming dangerously close to destroying their campsite.

All in all, the atmosphere was completely different from what Guy had expected in the beginning of the mission. While certainly not friendly, his young students were displaying a surprising eagerness to fight the Uchiha. Guy had a feeling that Naruto was behind the transformation, and he was determined to find out how.

Guy approached Neji, who was in charge of preparing dinner that evening. The Hyuuga genius was using his byakugan to keep an eye on the covered pot of water hung over their fire – he would be able to tell when it was about to boil. Guy stretched with exaggerated enthusiasm before taking a seat next to his pupil.

"Ah, Neji!" he said, his booming tone disguising his interest. "I see you are preparing a delicious meal for us tonight!"

Neji spared a moment to stare at him drily. Guy coughed, embarrassed. Neji never seemed to want to exchange pleasantries. Well, then… straight to business it was.

"I have been meaning to ask you," Guy said, lowering his voice considerably, "about-"

"About Naruto?" Neji replied before he could finish. Ah – his student had always been sharp, Guy thought ruefully.

"That's right. He is… not what I expected. I was wondering if you might share any observations that you've been able to make. General Fugaku has been keeping too close an eye on me for there to be much time for independent assessment."

Neji watched the pot for a few seconds, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Well," he said at last, "he _claims_ he wants to get rid of the Seals."

Guy rocked back on his heels. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't _that_.

"He's been attempting to create camaraderie between us and his team, although his teammates, particularly Akemi, don't necessarily agree with him. Recently, he… _convinced_ us to spar all-out, although at first I instructed Lee and Tenten to hold back."

"How did he convince you?" Guy was intrigued. Neji was not one to be manipulated into giving away any information he wanted to keep secret. After years of suffering under the Uchiha, he was capable of withstanding almost any torture without cracking. Guy would know – he had been training his squad in secret for many years, determined that they would be as prepared as he could make them when the inevitable showdown between the Uchiha and the Sealed shinobi came to a head.

"He… took me by surprise," Neji admitted bitterly. "I lost my cool when we were sparring, and attacked with a lethal Jyuuken strike. It hit him in the midsection, lacerating several organs and entirely shredding his stomach. I was watching with my byakugan, and I could see the organs begin to knit themselves back up in less than a second. Red chakra began flowing around inside his body, and before I knew it he was at full fighting capacity again. Instead of punishing me for the attack, he merely demanded that I get Lee and Tenten to fight to their full ability."

Guy could only stare at Neji. How could Neji, the boy who had ice in his veins, have lost his cool to the extent that he sent a lethal strike at the Hokage's son? It could have cost him his life, not to mention Guy's and the rest of their team's lives, too. Naruto must have provoked him extremely effectively, which meant his skill with psychological manipulation was something to be reckoned with.

Then there was the physical regeneration. For Naruto to come back from a blow that should have killed him, and to do it so quickly and apparently effortlessly, meant that he had control over his demon to a degree that spelled bad news for any of his enemies. If Naruto was an Uchiha in his soul, then the Rebellion had a second obstacle every bit as unpredictable as Madara.

But then, Neji said that Naruto wanted to get rid of the Seals. Guy couldn't take that on faith, of course, but the possibilities were fascinating. Guy desperately wanted this mission to be over, so that he could send a message to Jiraiya. This was something the Toad Sage needed to know.

For now, however, there was nothing to do but continue to observe, and to make sure that everyone made it back to the village in one piece. Amegakure had an unsettling reputation, for all that no one really knew what was going on in the village, or even who its leader was. Guy would lead his team, and continue to watch Naruto and evaluate him. Anything else was a problem for another day, and Guy did not remain as youthful as he was by worrying about what he couldn't change.

Later, when Fugaku returned to the campsite with Naruto, the General gathered both teams together. He looked around at all of them, lingering on Guy just a fraction longer.

"We'll be at the border in two days," he told them. "I don't know what reception we are to expect, but we must be ready for anything. Naruto will give the orders for the duration of our mission, and the chain of command is me, and then Guy. Let's do this right, and forge another alliance for Konoha."

"Yes, sir," Guy chorused along with the genin, and with an effort he kept from betraying his hatred by any twitch of his face or hands. He had a duty to perform, and it wouldn't happen if he threw himself headlong at the man who had tortured his Eternal Rival.

_Patience_, Guy told himself, for the millionth time. _I'll kill this bastard for you, Kakashi, but only when the time is right. In fact, I hope you're there to watch while I do._

oOoOo

When Hinata awoke, her head was ringing like a bell tower. She tried to bring her hand up to her forehead, but she found that both her arms were strapped to her sides with thick leather strips. She was lying on a flat wooden surface, which felt warm against her back. Hinata tensed, preparing to lash out with a blast of chakra from her tenketsu points.

"Hold it!" came a voice from behind her, sounding feminine and vaguely annoyed. "There's no need for that. I was just trying to make sure you didn't start thrashing around while I healed you."

Hinata knew that voice… she fought the foggy feeling inside her head, trying to connect that voice with a face. Then a woman's face framed with blond hair loomed overhead, rendering her efforts unnecessary.

"You!" Hinata gasped, recognizing Tsunade.

"I'm afraid so," Tsunade replied drily. "Now, if I release your arms, will you lie still like a good girl or will I have to knock you out again?"

Hinata was too startled to respond, but Tsunade cut her loose anyway. Hinata flexed her arms, then rubbed her wrists to try and restore full circulation.

"I thought… I thought you killed me," she said at last. She forced herself upright, fighting against the urge to activate your byakugan.

There was an unreadable expression in Tsunade's eyes. "I decided not to… for now. I also decided to take a look at that seal on your forehead… you can thank me later. For now, just eat and restore your strength. We've got a long night ahead of us."

Hinata's brain raced to catch up with her situation, which seemed much less bleak than it had only moments ago. Tsunade hadn't killed her, and even appeared to be willing to help… Hinata didn't know if it was her own words that had convinced the Sannin, or if Jiraiya had come through, but either way she was grateful.

Speaking of Jiraiya, where was the lecherous old man? Hinata looked around, taking in her surroundings. They were in a small, one-room hut, with a tiny stove and kitchen area, a cot, and a few chairs ringing the table on which Hinata was currently sitting. Jiraiya was standing at the stove, his back to the two kunoichi, and even as Hinata began to watch him he started humming a silly little tune.

"Jiraiya's on kitchen duty," Tsunade said drily, "so be careful. He's been known to burn water, you know."

"I strongly protest that accusation!" Jiraiya called out without turning around. "I am the Great Toad Sage, master of the thousand culinary arts of Mount Myoboku – just be happy that I'm not serving stewed blisterfly tonight. That one always goes over great with Gamabunta…"

Hinata still felt as though she had wandered into someone else's dream, and fresh waves of pain continued to flood her skull, but her stomach decided to take a stand. It let out a huge growl, alerting everyone to the fact that Hinata was, indeed, extremely hungry.

Tsunade stifled a snort, and shooed Hinata off of the table. "Move it, girl, you're sitting where our food needs to go."

Hinata jumped away, instinctively placing the table between herself and Tsunade. There came a quiet _creak_, and the front door of the cabin swung open. Shizune entered, carrying a load of wood. Behind her was Tonton the pig, proudly clutching a small twig with his curly tail.

Shizune smiled widely at Hinata, and gave her a reassuring wink. "So you're awake! I'm so glad to make your acquaintance, you know… officially. I'm Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice."

"Pleased to meet you," Hinata responded automatically. "I'm Hinata."

"Enough with the pleasantries," Tsunade snapped. "Let's eat. I want to get back to examining that Seal before night falls."

Startled, Hinata brought her hand up to her forehead, where her Seal burned at her touch.

"Don't fiddle with it," Tsunade barked. "I've been delving it with chakra while you were unconscious. I had to wait until you woke up to do anything serious, because I need you to have full control over your chakra. Don't want any surges from your tenketsu disrupting my jutsu, now, do we?"

"Dinner's ready!" Jiraiya interrupted happily, and in a few seconds the table was set for four, and a meal that smelled surprisingly tasty was laid out before them.

All four of them were ravenous, and they fell on their meal right away. Jiraiya managed to talk even while eating, so the burden of sustaining the conversation fell mostly on him. Tsunade was gruff and terse, only responding with one-word answers and the occasional swift slap to the back of Jiraiya's head. Shizune seemed to sense Hinata's confusion, because she made a point of smiling at her from time to time, but made no attempt to draw her into conversation.

Near the end of the meal, Tsunade fixed her attention on Hinata. The intensity of her focus was enough to trigger Hinata's mental alarms, but beyond tensing her muscles, she stayed still.

"You're probably confused," Tsunade said abruptly, "and I know why. You're asking yourself, 'why is this talented, smart kunoichi helping me when she was so adamantly opposed to the idea earlier?' Well, the answer is this: stupidity is contagious."

Jiraiya laughed uproariously, drawing a glare from Tsunade that seemed to lack much venom. She continued, "I have agreed to help remove your Seal. I don't know what you're going to do after I've freed you, and I don't much care. Jiraiya will look after you, and I doubt our paths will cross again."

Hinata noticed the shadow of a frown cross Shizune's face, which changed to a stubborn expression that Hinata didn't think Tsunade saw. Hinata bowed her head to Tsunade.

"I am deeply grateful, Tsunade-sama, on behalf of myself and the village."

Tsunade snorted. "Damn right you're grateful! I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, when I should really pound your face into the dirt for being an uppity little snot. Nevertheless, what's done is done, and so I'm going to do my best with that damned Seal. All I want to hear from you is 'Yes ma'am' and 'No ma'am.' Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hinata said meekly. Tsunade nodded approvingly.

"That's more like it. Now, clean up these dishes and afterwards, I'll figure out what exactly makes this Seal work."

Once the table had been cleared, Tsunade directed Hinata to the chair nearest the stove. Shizune and Jiraiya stood back, out of Tsunade's line of sight, while the Slug Sannin pushed back Hinata's bangs and secured them with a hair tie.

"I need you tell me if you feel any sudden pain," Tsunade told her seriously, "and whatever you do, keep a tight hold of your chakra. The Curse Seal may react in strange ways, and I need you to remain in control."

Hinata could only nod, her throat too tight for speech. Tsunade clasped her hands together, and they began to glow with an eerie green light.

Then began the longest hours of Hinata's life. Tsunade applied her medical ninjutsu again and again, cutting off the chakra the minute Hinata reported any pain. Before long, Hinata's headache had progressed to a constant ache, but still Tsunade insisted on trying again. The Sannin's face grew wearier, and at the same time angry, as if the Curse Seal was personally offending her.

She began muttering under her breath, and several times Hinata even caught small bursts of killing intent. Shizune was like a ghostly butler, arriving with glasses of water and towels to wipe the sweat from both Tsunade and Hinata.

Finally, long after the sun had set and the only light in the cabin came from a brace of candles on the table, Tsunade stepped back with a sound close to a snarl. The light around her hands winked out like a popped soap bubble.

"Damn it!" she said, her voice on the verge of exhaustion. "It's worse than I thought."

"What is?" Hinata asked nervously. "This just the start, right? A few more sessions, days… you'll be able to break the Seal, won't you?"

Tssunade gave a might sigh, and she sank into the chair next to Hinata. "I'm afraid not. I can't break the Seal – not alone. It's not a question of chakra control. I have the best chakra control on this continent, and I couldn't remove the Seal without killing you first. It's like a parasite, latching on to the chakra coils in your brain and digging in tight. The Hyuuga ancestors wanted to make sure that none of the branch members could break free."

"So that's it, then?" Hinata said quietly, her heart sinking. "There's no hope?"

"I didn't say that," Tsunade answered, the determination in her voice surprising Hinata. "I may have good chakra control, but I'm not an expert on Curse Seals. I know someone who is."

"Let me stop you there." Jiraiya had been so quiet during Tsunade's examination that Hinata had almost forgotten he was there. Now he appeared before them, and Hinata didn't think she had ever seen him so serious. There was no trace of the girl-chasing, sake-drinking goofball – here was a shinobi who radiated danger like heat waves in the desert. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not going to happen, Tsunade."

Tsunade set her chin obstinately. "Why not, Jiraiya? Do you disagree that he's the foremost expert on Curse Seals? What about all you said to me before, about doing everything in your power to free Konoha? Isn't this in your power?"

Jiraiya's voice was a whip-crack that echoed in the enclosed space. "I won't expose this girl to the whims of that sadistic bastard! He only cares about power, you know that!"

"Can you honestly say that Orochimaru is worse than Madara?" Tsunade demanded. "Better the demon you know than the one you don't! Madara has kept himself alive for over seventy years, by a means we don't know, and he killed Sarutobi-sensei without blinking. No matter what twisted, devious schemes Orochimaru may be plotting, he doesn't pose nearly the same threat to us that Madara does!"

Hinata had no idea who they were yelling about, but she couldn't help noticing that Tsunade had said "us." She had a slight suspicion that the Slug Sannin was beginning to forget what she'd said before about "only" getting rid of Hinata's Seal. If that was the case, Hinata definitely wouldn't be the one to remind her.

"It's too dangerous," Jiraiya declared, crossing his arms.

"Shouldn't that be for her to decide?" Tsunade asked pointedly, gesturing at Hinata. "After all, who's at risk here? Not the two of us – together, Orochimaru can't defeat us. You're just worried that you can't protect her, and shouldn't that be her decision? She's already made it quite clear that she doesn't value her own life if it can serve the village."

"She's right," Hinata said quickly, cutting off Jiraiya as he opened his mouth. "I don't know who you're talking about, Jiraiya-sensei, or why you're hesitating, but if there's someone who might be able to get rid of this Seal, we should visit him. No matter what the danger is."

"It's not the danger I'm worried about," Jiraiya answered. "It's his price. Orochimaru won't lift a finger if he doesn't stand to gain something."

"But we can figure out something," Tsunade insisted. "You've heard the saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Well, Orochimaru must hate Madara as much as we do, right? He's always wanted a pair of sharingan eyes, and with Madara running Konoha, there's absolutely no chance of that."

"You have a point," Jiraiya said reluctantly. "And I know that Orochimaru has already been in contact with the Kazekage about an alliance against Konoha."

"He has?!" Tsunade squawked. "Why didn't you say so before? You mean he's already an ally?"

"Look," Jiraiya sighed, "no matter what Orochimaru says, he only ever plans for his own advancement. He may be an ally today, but the moment he has a chance to stab his allies in the back, he'll take it. It's my belief that the moment Madara is defeated, Orochimaru will attempt to take out the leadership of the Rebellion and institute his own Empire."

"That's a completely natural thing for him to plan," Tsunade said, nodding, "but it doesn't change the fact that he has the knowledge we lack. We need his ability with Curse Seals, and if your information is accurate, he needs your allies to stand any chance of defeating Madara and gaining access to the Uchiha. We can use him. We just need to be alert for the inevitable betrayal. But we're shinobi, after all… betrayal isn't exactly unexpected in our line of work."

"I just… I don't like it, that's all," Jiraiya said, looking harried. "I didn't save Hinata just so that the murdering, snake-kissing bastard could run experiments on her."

"Let's do it," Hinata said, drawing the attention of both Sannin. "I don't care what I have to suffer, if this man can neutralize the Seal. I'll gladly give my life. That was the reason I was saved in the first place – so I could sacrifice for my village."

She held Jiraiya's gaze, and it was the older shinobi who looked away first. Tsunade spoke into the silence, her voice brisk and business-like. "So that's settled. We'll find Orochimaru, and make him an offer he can't refuse. With my chakra control and his knowledge of Curse Seals, we'll be able to find a solution. We have to."

"Just who is this man?" Hinata asked. "How do you know so much about him, and yet have so little trust for him?"

Jiraiya turned away, walking out of the cabin and closing the door with a resounding _crash_.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head sadly. "Because he was our teammate."

oOoOo

It was clear to them all that Amegakure was growing closer from the heavy storm clouds in the distance. They could hear the boom of thunder, and tall metallic structures came into view at the edges of their vision.

"That storm doesn't look natural," Naruto mused. General Fugaku, who was leading them quietly along a dirt road headed straight into the heart of the storm, snorted derisively.

"That's because it's not. It rains almost constantly in Amegakure. We're not sure why, but several of our spies believe it's a security measure of sorts. Given the village's name, it's not unreasonable to assume that there are shinobi living there capable of sustaining such a rainstorm."

"Fighting on the enemy's ground would be a most youthful challenge," Guy said, though his voice was somber. "Neji, please keep your eyes peeled as we approach. If there is some hidden property to this rain, it would be best for us to be aware of it."

Although the heavy clouds reduced visibility, the village of Amegakure soon came into full view, outlined against the night sky and illuminated by intermittent flashes of lightning. The village was smaller than Konoha, but seemingly much more industrialized – most of the buildings they could see were giant metal skyscrapers, seeming to pierce the sky in counterpoint to the lightning streaking down to meet them. A net of power lines ringed the outskirts of the village and laid a metallic lattice through the heart of the skyscrapers, generating what must be massive amounts of electricity. Naruto couldn't help feeling a little intimidated; looking at this village, he didn't doubt that it was home to mysterious and powerful shinobi.

"Don't worry, Naruto," Takeshi whispered, drawing close enough to put one hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Whatever's waiting in there, I know you'll lead us wisely."

Akemi merely stuck her tongue out at him. "Scaredy-cat."

Naruto laughed brightly, drawing a furious glare from General Fugaku. "Are you on a picnic in the park?" he hissed at them. "Try to treat this mission with the attention it deserves."

"Now, now," Guy boomed in a voice like a thunderclap. "They are merely testing their Flames of Youth! Burn brightly, young ones, and no amount of rain can bring you down!"

Akemi and Tenten met each other's eyes and groaned, then looked embarrassed about agreeing on even that much. Naruto and Lee, however, were nodding excitedly, as if Guy's speech made sense to them.

"The entrance is near," Neji said quietly, his byakugan activated and the veins standing out in stark relief around his eyes. "There is a kunoichi standing there – I believe she is waiting for us."

The group fell silent, their imminent arrival putting an end to all bantering. As if to reinforce the true beginning of their mission, they entered the range of the storm hovering over the village like a protective barrier.

Eventually they approached a main gate that reached far higher than Konoha's, made of solid metal and adorned with sinister-looking gargoyles. The mouth of the gate stood open, and a small figure stood in front, dwarfed by the monstrous metal construct around her. Naruto's eyes were sharp, and he could see that the figure was a woman in a cloak. More detail appeared as they drew closer, and he could see that she had purple hair and a flower of the same color threaded in her hair. She had a metal stud under her lower lip, and dark purple eye shadow that creeped Naruto out just a bit.

She stepped forward to meet them, holding out her arms in greeting. "Welcome to Amegakure," she began, and though she spoke quietly her voice seemed to echo around them. "I am Konan, humble servant of Pain, who rules this village. Am I correct in assuming you are the envoys of Madara, the Godaime Hokage?"

Naruto stepped forward at a nod from General Fugaku. "That's right – I'm Uchiha Naruto, son of the Hokage, and these are two of Konoha's most trusted jounin: Might Guy and General Uchiha Fugaku."

Naruto noticed that Fugaku's lip curled just a bit when he described Guy as a "trusted jounin," but there was nothing Naruto could do about that.

"If you will follow me, I will lead you to the Audience Chamber," Konan said. "Lord Pain is most interested to meet you."

They began walking through the streets of Ame, ringed on every side by the towering skyscrapers. With each step the rain hammered at them, and Naruto was soon soaked inside and outside his outfit. He couldn't help but notice that Konan didn't seem the least bit wet – it was as if the water slid off of her somehow. Naruto shivered slightly. Everything about this village was creepy. If Madara wasn't so adamant about forming an alliance with them, Naruto would be out of here in a second.

Konan didn't seem inclined to talk, and no one wanted to converse where she might overhear, so their procession went along in silence. Naruto wondered where all the people were – the streets were completely empty, although he supposed the rain would do a good job of keeping people inside. As they went deeper into the city, the buildings grew taller and more imposing. They came at last to a cleared area covered with white cobblestones. Facing them was the largest building they had seen yet, a veritable palace with a grand white staircase thirty yards across, and a quartet of spires that seemed to pierce the heavens.

The silent kunoichi led them up the stairs, the hem of her black cloak gliding along weightlessly. "Pain awaits you in the Audience Chamber," she said, looking over her shoulder. "It is right through the main door."

As the eight shinobi approached, they could see that the entrance to the structure was fully twenty feet tall, built of a black metal that drank in all excess light. It swung open as they drew near, revealing a chamber with a ceiling that stretched far overhead.

They filed into the Audience Chamber, Naruto and General Fugaku in the lead, and got their first look at the mysterious leader of Amegakure. Pain was sitting in a throne, though it was unadorned and made of wood, positioned on a raised dais directly in front of them. The dais was higher than Guy's head, and could be reached by a set of stairs reaching around to the right side of the chamber. Below the dais and in front were four men in cloaks similar to Konan's – from the calm, collected way they held themselves, and the aura of danger they emitted, Naruto guessed that they were Lord Pain's elite guard.

The first on the left stood a head taller than Naruto, with slicked-back silver hair and purple eyes. He held a triple-bladed scythe casually over his shoulder, and something in his eyes made Naruto pause. He looked… almost feral. As he met Naruto's gaze, the man grinned maliciously, and a crazed light entered his eyes.

Next to him was the tallest of the four, an imposing man with a white hood and black mask. He radiated a tightly restrained menace, and his eyes were his strangest feature – they were a ghostly green.

Second from the right stood a shinobi who looked to Naruto to be the youngest of the guards. He had longish blond hair swept over to cover his left eye. He seemed more relaxed than his compatriots, and he wore a small smirk.

Lastly, there was a hunched-over figure who gave the impression of old age, and extreme malice. His body was extremely bulky, and his face was hidden by a gray cloth.

As strange as these four were, they didn't worry Naruto nearly as much as their leader. High in his stark throne, Pain appeared almost superhuman. He had spiky orange hair, but most striking about him were his eyes. They had interlocking violet rings instead of pupils, and as the collar of Pain's coat was pulled up to cover the rest of his face, those eyes drew Naruto with an almost magnetic power.

Konan stepped forward to join the four waiting shinobi, and her voice resounded in the gigantic chamber. "Lord Pain, may I present Uchiha Naruto, the son of the Godaime Hokage, and his escort, led by General Fugaku and Might Guy."

Pain spoke in a dead voice that sent shivers down Naruto's spine. "Welcome. You have come a long way."

Naruto swallowed, then took one more step forward and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for receiving us. We are honored that you would allow us into your village."

"Not at all," Pain replied. "Any envoy of the famous Uchiha Madara must be treated with proper respect. Allow me to introduce you to several of my confederates. They are named Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, and Sasori. You have already met Konan. Together we form a federation dedicated to pursuing peace in this world."

"Then we're sure glad to meet you!" Naruto said, wincing afterward about how unprofessional that sounded. "Peace is… um… always a good thing…"

The hunched-back shinobi snorted, and spoke in a rough, gravelly voice. "Madara sends a kid to do his dirty work? What's he playing at?"

General Fugaku started forward, but Naruto waved him off. He glared at the shinobi, wishing he stood a few inches taller. "You're Sasori, right? Well, that's _Mr._ Kid to you! Madara sent me to meet with your boss, and that's how it's gonna be. If you don't like it, you can kiss my-"

"What our Hokage's son means to say," Fugaku cut in smoothly, "is that Naruto leading this mission is a token of our leader's respect for you. But I find it curious, Lord Pain, that you allow your subordinates to speak so freely in this type of meeting."

Hidan, the scythe-wielder, snorted derisively. "Subordinates? Seems like you little shits don't understand the situation. We're partners, you see. Don't let the fancy chair fool you."

"It is true that I do not command these shinobi," Pain agreed, "though I would consider myself first among equals. Together we work towards a brighter future for all of mankind – for peace, and an end to pointless war. Our purpose here today is to ascertain if we can work with Konoha towards that goal."

"That's your purpose," Hidan said loudly, "and we're with you, but first Jashin-sama wants his sacrifice."

The taller man beside him looked annoyed. "Hidan, don't start. This isn't exactly the right moment."

"Shut up, Kakuzu," Hidan shouted, suddenly inordinately angry. "You know you can't kill me, so stop trying to cheat me of my fun! Jashin-sama's getting hungry!"

To Naruto's surprise, Hidan began cackling like a madman – and in fact, Naruto wasn't sure that wasn't the right description for the silver-haired shinobi. The crazed light in his eyes was only intensifying.

Then, so suddenly Naruto couldn't react, Hidan disappeared. He reappeared behind them, and only Guy was fast enough to try and intercept him. But even as Guy leapt forward, Hidan's scythe swept around and caught the spandex-clad jounin a glancing blow that sent him skidding backwards. The next thing Naruto knew, Hidan had grabbed Tenten and held her close, the triple blades of his scythe practically drawing blood.

Tenten immediately drew two kunai and stabbed behind her, impaling Hidan in his stomach. Naruto suppressed a cheer, which turned into a gasp of horror as Hidan merely laughed. "Hahahaha, oh, that tickled! You're a feisty one, aren't you! I'm going to enjoy killing you!"

With no apparent regard for the two kunai sticking out of his stomach, Hidan moved at high speed back to the other four Amegakure shinobi. They were watching him with various degrees of distaste, but none made a move to stop him.

Naruto was still coming to grips with what was happening, but he had to act fast to keep this situation from devolving into an all-out slugfest. Lee and Takeshi had their weapons drawn, and Guy was about to spring. For that matter, Naruto himself was on the verge of manifesting one of the Kyuubi's tails. He was not about to let some religious psychopath kill one of his teammates – he would take on this entire crazy-ass village before he let that happen.

"Lord Pain!" he yelled out, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Tell your _friend_ to release her! The second one drop of her blood is shed, I'm declaring war against your village and beginning it right here and now. Tell me – do you want this big, fancy building to come crashing down around your ears?"

Pain watched him impassively. "I told you before, I do not command these men. Hidan in particular likes to assert his independence – he has even threatened _me_ on occasion. Are you determined that this young woman is indispensable? She bears a Seal with which I am somewhat familiar… does it not mean that she is a second-class citizen in Konoha? Is an alliance with us not worth the life of one person?"

"You bet your ass it isn't worth it!" Naruto snarled, feeling his canines grow larger as he spoke. The Kyuubi's chakra was gathering, and he wanted nothing more than to let it out. "Let me say this again – if you or any of yours hurts my people, I won't stop until you're a greasy smear on the pavement. And if my teammate isn't returned unharmed in three seconds, I will personally tear that bastard's scythe from his hands and use it to separate his head from his shoulders."

"Hey, shitface!" Hidan yelled, chuckling. "Why don't you back that up? Come to think of it, you look like you'd make a better sacrifice than this girl! Come and get her!"

"That's fine with me," Naruto snarled.

Fugaku started forward. "Naruto, you must not put yourself at risk!" he whispered urgently. "We can leave – we'll tell the Hokage what happened here, and he'll send us back with a full contingent of Uchiha."

"That would be too late," Naruto replied, never taking his eyes off of Hidan. "You ready to die, asshole?"

"Hahahaha! Death waits only for those who fail to embrace Jashin-sama!" Hidan shoved Tenten unceremoniously towards Kakuzu. "Hold this one!" he cackled. "I want to fight the blonde one now! My scythe will drink his blood!"

Kakuzu didn't move, but dark gray threads shot from beneath his cloak and wrapped around Tenten from head to toe.

"Tenten!" Rock Lee cried out, but Neji stopped him from advancing.

"Don't!" he whispered to the bushy-browed genin. "You'll only put her in danger. Naruto's the only one who can resolve this now."

Pain held up his hand, bringing silence to the room. "I think this is an excellent way of testing your worth," he said, perfectly monotone. "If you defeat my compatriot, I will acknowledge that you and your village will be valuable partners on the road to peace. If not… well, I suppose conflict is always inevitable when people fail to understand the peace that comes from pain."

"I'll get to you later!" Naruto snarled, pointing at Pain. "But first, I'm going to have a few words with this punk who thinks he can go around killing anyone he wants."

Hidan cackled, and swung his scythe through the air. "Come on, little boy! Embrace your death, and serve Jashin-sama!"

Still restrained by Neji, Rock Lee let out a fierce yell. "Yosh! Naruto, defeat him with the flames of your Youth!"

For answer, Naruto literally exploded with chakra. A raging red cloak covered him from head to toe, and a giant tail emerged and began waving overhead. His teammates gasped, and even Pain looked slightly taken aback. Naruto turned to Lee, and his smile was positively deadly. "Flames, huh? I can do that. What do you say, Bushy Brow? Do you want him crispy, or well-done?"

oOoOo

Several weeks after joining with Tsunade, Hinata found herself deep in Grass Country with two Sannin, a medical apprentice, and an abnormally cute pig, looking for one of the most dangerous criminals in the history of the Elemental Nations.

Jiraiya claimed to know the general whereabouts of one of Orochimaru's headquarters, but actually finding the place easier said than done. They tramped around the country endlessly, questioning Jiraiya's informants and hoping to gain more specific locations. The only good thing from Hinata's point of view was that more time meant more training – since they left Tanzaku Town, Hinata had been receiving training not only from Jiraiya, but from Tsunade as well.

The Slug Sannin had watched her practice sessions for a few nights, and then one night, without comment, she asked Hinata if she knew any advanced chakra control exercises. Just like that, Hinata began double sessions with both Sannin, in which she pushed herself to her limit in improving her chakra control and learning more destructive jutsu. If it weren't for her all-consuming desire to get rid of the Seal, Hinata thought she would have been happy to travel like this forever.

But that was nothing more than fantasy, and the most important part of their journey was never far from her mind. They had to find the elusive Snake Sannin, or else all her hopes would crumble into dust.

One day, while exploring a region of Grass Country with many rock formations and natural caves, Hinata's byakugan found evidence of shinobi presence underground.

"Over here," she called, calling her companions over. She pointed towards a large boulder, which her eyes told her was actually the entrance to a cave. Situated off a ways to the right, in the middle of a field, was also a trapdoor hidden by a tuft of tall grass. "I think we've found it," Hinata said. "There are underground tunnels spreading out from these two access points."

"This looks like Orochimaru's handiwork," Jiraiya agreed grimly. "So we've found him at last."

"What do we do now?" Hinata asked nervously.

Jiraiya frowned. "We wait. Knowing Orochimaru, he was aware of us long before you found the entrance to his stronghold."

"Kukukuku." The slithering voice came out of nowhere, and it chilled Hinata to her core. It was the sound of crumbling snakeskin, dry and yet oozing malice. "How right you are, Jiraiya."

Hinata's byakugan somehow did not warn her of the person who had been concealed beyond the boulder. But now she saw him, as the newcomer melted out of the solid rock and assumed a human form. Hinata didn't know which was stranger: the man's pale skin, almost white, or his yellow eyes with slitted, diamond-shaped pupils.

Jiraiya and Tsunade advanced as one, putting themselves between Orochimaru and the younger kunoichi. "Orochimaru," Jiraiya said.

"How nice to see old friends," Orochimaru chuckled. "I've been expecting you."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **My senior thesis is due this Monday, and I am FREAKING OUT! I had to take a moment to finish up this chapter, or else I was going to explode. Anyway, this is the final chapter in Part 5, and next time we'll return after a time skip to the final arc, the 5-village smackdown, the big show… otherwise known as the Chuunin Exams.

One of the main ideas for this chapter comes from **lord of the weed**_**, **_who has some great stories on this site that you should check out! All of you Kimimaro fans, he's the one you should thank.

Also, I'd like to address some people's concern that Guy was taken down a little too easily last chapter. Let me just say, that was not my intention. Yes, Hidan landed a hit. But it was a glancing hit, and Hidan had the advantage because he attacked first. Guy was expecting a diplomatic exchange, not an attempt at kidnapping from a psychopath. If Guy had engaged in a full-on, no-holds-barred fight with Hidan, he would have won. But because Hidan managed to get the drop on Tenten, Guy couldn't attack without her dying. That's why Naruto had to step up, because Pain wanted to maneuver him into fighting.

Finally, I've made some pretty significant changes to Naruto's fighting style, mostly playing with some abilities that I created after thinking about how control over the Kyuubi's chakra could be integrated with a fully functional Mangekyou sharingan. The possibilities are pretty fun, and let's face it – without Sage Mode and rasengan-based attacks, Naruto needs to get some new tricks up his sleeve, and _fast_. I hope you like how it turned out!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 31**

With Tenten captured, none of Naruto's teammates dared to come to his aid. No matter how fast they were, Kakuzu's strange threads could squeeze the life out of the Sealed kunoichi before any of their attacks landed. General Fugaku took in the situation, and ordered his team and Guy's to stand down.

"We have no choice but to leave this up to Naruto," he said, pitching his voice low. "For some reason, Pain wants this fight to occur. If we step in to support Naruto, I don't doubt that the other shinobi will enter the fight as well."

He nodded significantly to Kakuzu, Deidara, and Sasori, who were watching the escalating confrontation with impassive calm. "I recognize two of them from the Bingo Book," Fugaku went on. "Sasori and Deidara are S-rank missing nin. Either one of them would be a match for me or Guy, and with three shinobi of such rank, we'd likely be slaughtered."

Akemi was dying to run forward and fight alongside Naruto. They had been a team for so long, and seeing her friend in danger awoke a protective instinct in her to rival Takeshi's. But Fugaku was right – Pain and his followers had the advantage. She would have to trust in Naruto, as she had so many times before. And he had never let her down.

In fact, with Naruto's killing intent flooding the room and his chakra spiking to an incredible level, Akemi could almost feel sorry for the foulmouthed creep with the scythe. Except for the fact that he didn't look at all afraid. Was he… actually laughing?

Hidan's laughter was tinged with a manic frenzy. "So Konoha has a pet fox. This should be fun."

Naruto crouched lower, the whisker marks on his cheek standing out in stark relief on his pale face. His dark eyes changed, activating the sharingan that now swirled with three tomoe. Akemi's heart soared, as she watched her best friend prepare for battle with the eyes that were the last remnant of her beloved brother, Shisui. She couldn't imagine anyone more fitting to carry on her brother's legacy than Naruto.

"I'm the only one who's going to have fun," Naruto snarled. With a burst of demonic chakra, he sprang into motion. He was so fast that Akemi had to activate her own sharingan merely to keep track of his movement. But as fast as Naruto moved, Hidan reacted still faster. He brought his scythe upright in time to deflect Naruto's striking kunai, then shifted to attack, swinging his triple-bladed weapon around in a wicked half-moon arc.

Naruto crossed two kunai overhead, intercepting Hidan's scythe and halting its downward momentum. His arms strained as he fought to keep the weapon from reaching its target.

Hidan laughed again, the harsh sound causing Akemi to grit her teeth with frustration. "You're a quick little shit, you know that?" he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "I'm the slowest in our association, but even so, the fact that you can match me at all is impressive. You'll be a fitting sacrifice for Jashin-sama!"

With the agility of a snake, Hidan switched tactics. He let go of his scythe with one hand, then spun into a revolving kick that Naruto couldn't block while he was still holding the scythe at bay. Hidan's foot connected with Naruto's sternum, unaffected by the Kyuubi's chakra, and sent the smaller boy skidding backwards.

"I'm not done yet," Naruto said, the tomoe of his sharingan swirling madly. "_Fuuton: Twister Shot!_" He opened his mouth and released a stream of wind chakra that took on the form of a small tornado. It tore forward with surprising speed, enveloping Hidan with razor-sharp currents of air rotating with deadly force. Akemi was familiar with this technique from Naruto's training in Change in Chakra Nature. It was one of the more deadly wind attacks that Naruto had at his disposal, but it was even more effective when used in combination with Akemi's fire attacks. The tornado became a swirling maelstrom of flames, combining the speed of Fuuton attacks with the destructive potential of a B-rank area-attack jutsu.

Akemi was about to let out a cheer, but Lee beat her to the punch. The genin with the bowl cut had apparently decided that if he couldn't help on the battlefield, he was going to do his best on the sidelines.

"Yosh, Naruto! Show this heartless monster the power of your Youth!"

Akemi grimaced a little at the impression Lee must be making on the foreign shinobi, and then jumped a little when she saw Neji wearing the exact same expression. She looked away quickly, focusing once again on the fight.

Naruto relaxed his stance as his technique dissipated. Hidan was covered in dozens of gashes, ranging from the small cuts across his face to a gaping gash that reached from his sternum to his waist. "I'm sorry – that looks like it stings," Naruto quipped.

Hidan screamed in pain, clasping his hands to his chest in a vain attempt to staunch the bleeding. Then, to Akemi's consternation and extreme disgust, he began to laugh. It was a high-pitched, shrill cackle that seemed never-ending.

"Fool," Hidan said, once his laughter died out. "Do you think I would have let that hit me if I was in any danger? You can't kill me, shithead! I'm immortal!"

As if he'd never been wounded at all, Hidan lashed out with his scythe. He didn't move, but his weapon was attached to a cord wound around Hidan's waist, and he manipulated it with unerring accuracy. Naruto leapt away, avoiding the first strike, but Hidan directed his triple-bladed scythe with the skill of a master.

Naruto's speed barely allowed him to avoid each new attack, and the unpredictable arcs of the weapon made it almost impossible to predict its trajectory. Naruto's sharingan helped him dodge, but he couldn't fend off the scythe reliably with his kunai. Even if he blocked one of the blades, a slight change in angle and Hidan could impale him with one of the other blades. Naruto had only been able to block the initial attack because Hidan's scythe had been descending on him from above. Now Naruto needed to duck, dive, and dodge rather than defend, and Hidan could redirect his attacks at any time, while Naruto couldn't change direction in midair.

Akemi fought the urge to bite her nails, realizing that she was being completely silly. Naruto was only expending a fraction of the power she knew he was capable of wielding – he must be dragging this fight out, drawing on the least amount of chakra he could in case he needed his reserves to fight Pain or his associates later.

But Naruto seemed to realize that he needed a little more firepower. There was another surge of chakra and killing intent, and the miniature chakra tail above him split and became two. Akemi was somewhat accustomed to Naruto's transformations, but even she felt intimidated by the raw power Naruto was exuding. The other S-rank missing nin still didn't seem impressed, however.

Naruto stood his ground as the scythe bore down on him, waiting until it was a hairsbreadth away to make his move. He shifted to the side, judging his motion so carefully that the side of the blade actually grazed his skin without drawing blood. He was faster than before – much faster.

And his strength had increased as well. Naruto plucked Hidan's scythe out of the air, grasping it at the base of the handle with his left hand. "I'm getting bored," Naruto said, his voice deeper and raspy. "Let's see if you have any other tricks."

Naruto brought his right hand up, which was covered in red chakra like the rest of his body. At Naruto's command, that chakra began to coalesce and glow brighter, eventually forming a knife-like shape centered on his hand. "This is my Demon's Claw jutsu," Naruto said to Hidan in a confiding tone. "I created it while I was experimenting with my control of the Kyuubi's chakra. It integrates the fox's chakra with a little bit of Wind chakra for a finer edge. It'll cut through almost anything, providing I give the technique enough juice."

So saying, he slashed through the cord attached to Hidan's scythe, and let the missing nin's weapon fall to the floor with a clatter. Naruto crouched low, and with his claw-like nails, sharpened canines, and the chakra tails above him he looked more beast than man. "I don't care if you're immortal or not – I don't see you posing much of a threat without your head."

Naruto disappeared, leaving behind an afterimage from the speed of his departure. He reappeared behind Hidan, darting in low to hamstring him with his Demon's Claw technique. Hidan whirled, lashing out with a retractable spear that he'd pulled from inside his cloak. Naruto ducked under the first swing and slashed at the spear with his right hand. The demonic Wind chakra sliced Hidan's spear in half, cutting through steel as if it were paper.

Charging forward, elbow locked and arm extended before him, Naruto attempted to sever Hidan's left leg. Hidan gave way, jumping backward to put some space between him and Naruto's assassination technique.

"That's the first time you've moved this fight," Naruto commented idly. "Are you starting to get serious now?"

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Hidan crowed. He drew out two more retractable spears, wielding one in each hand. Then he advanced deliberately towards Naruto, who watched his approach with curiosity.

"Didn't you figure out before that those spears aren't working? Close-range fighting probably isn't the smartest move, here."

"I never said I was a strategist," Hidan snarled, lunging forward. "But then, I don't need to be!"

Naruto dodged back from the first swipe, cut off Hidan's second spear at the base, and counter-attacked with a straight thrust to Hidan's midsection.

But then something completely unexpected happened. Hidan _allowed_ the strike to hit, grabbing Naruto's forearm to keep him from backing away. Naruto's hand was embedded in Hidan's midsection, but for the moment he was unable to retreat. The spear in Hidan's right hand lashed out, steel flashing in the well-lit chamber. Hidan let out a cry of agony that turned into a shriek of delight.

He kicked Naruto away, then cackled like a madman as he gazed at the fresh blood on the end of his spear.

"Now to begin the ritual," Hidan shouted triumphantly. He licked the edge of the blade and shivered with ecstasy, drawing a cry of disgust from Lee. Then he used the blood on his spear to smear a design on the floor around him – it was a triangle within a circle, and Hidan stood squarely in the center.

"The link has been established," he declared. As he spoke, his body underwent a terrifying transformation. His skin turned completely, utterly black, while most of his face took on the stark, white cast of a skull. He looked like a Shinigami, or one of the Death God's reapers come to exact his vengeance.

"Here is my offering, Jashin-sama!" Hidan crowed. "Are you not pleased?" With no warning, he stabbed himself in the stomach.

Akemi cried out when Naruto rocked back. No sound escaped her teammate's lips, but his Demon Claw technique dissolved and a fresh puncture wound appeared by itself, in precisely the same spot where Hidan had stabbed himself.

"It doesn't matter how much of the Kyuubi's power you can draw on!" Hidan crowed. "Now that the ritual has begun, your life is mine!"

oOoOo

"My informants have been keeping me apprised of your movements. I've been wondering how long it would take you to find me." Orochimaru's voice, sibilant and full of menace, filled Hinata with the instinctual fear of prey in the presence of a predator. The most powerful missing nin ever to leave Konoha stood not more than ten yards from her, and even the presence of Jiraiya and Tsunade between her and the man wasn't enough to make her feel safe.

"So you knew we were coming," Jiraiya said, calm and purposeful. "Does that mean you also know why we came?"

Orochimaru gave a husky chuckle that made Hinata want to cover her ears. "I'll admit I wasn't sure, at least until your adorable little kunoichi found the entrance to my humble abode. Those eyes are truly remarkable." Orochimaru fixed his attention on Hinata for a second, and she stared back with as much determination as she could muster.

He merely smiled, and reverted his attention to Jiraiya and Tsunade. "The presence of a Hyuuga makes most things clear, though how you spirited her away from the village must be a fascinating tale. I would guess, if the self-loathing expression on Tsunade-chan's face is any indication, that the two of you have been unable to negate the Curse Seal that the Uchiha employ to such effect."

Tsunade growled under her breath. "That's correct, you scaly, two-faced bastard. You know what we want, so let's talk. Stop dragging this out."

"Language, dear," the Snake Sannin mocked. "Honestly, do you think calling me names is going to convince me to help you?"

"Let's cut to the chase," Jiraiya said, silencing Tsunade with a stern glance as she opened her mouth. "We have a common enemy. Madara won't rest until every village bows before the Uchiha. I already know you've entered into an alliance with the Kazekage against Konoha, so there's really nothing else to discuss. If we can neutralize the Seal now, then the Invasion is exponentially more likely to succeed."

Orochmaru looked vastly amused. "I think you're assuming rather too much," he said, smiling. "First, my agreement is with the Kazekage and the Kazekage alone. Just because you happen to be allied with him does not mean that you can expect any cooperation from _me_. Second, my agreement with Sunagakure states nothing about the Hyuuga Curse Seal. If I were to attempt to circumvent its hold on this young girl, I would be revealing knowledge that might be used against me." Orochimaru looked from Tsunade to Jiraiya with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think I need look far for people who might cast me aside once my usefulness is over."

"Cut the bullshit!" Tsunade said with considerable heat. "We know as well as you that the moment you have a chance to stick a kunai in our backs, you'll take it. You'll use Suna to help you get rid of Madara, but once he's gone, your allies won't last much longer."

"Brilliant deduction, Tsunade," Orochimaru drawled lazily. "You've just defined the single constant in human nature – self-interest. Don't look down on me for wanting to ensure my own safety. Your self-righteous act won't hold up to any close examination. This world is made up of people fighting for their own gain, and I'm no different from the rest of them. That's all village politics are about, in the end: power, and survival. So I ask you again… what's in it for me?"

"There's something you want from us," Jiraiya said suddenly. "You wouldn't have approached us here if you didn't have something in mind. Stop playing your twisted games, and tell us."

Something raw and unspeakably evil glittered in Orochimaru's eyes for a moment, but was gone the next instant. "As you wish," he said pleasantly. "As a matter of fact, there is something I want. I have a young apprentice, as dear to me as I'm sure that young girl is to you. He suffers from a disease that, despite years of effort, I have been unable to cure. If I agree to devise a way to neutralize the Hyuuga's seal, I want Tsunade-chan here to heal my beloved Kimimaro-kun."

"There's something you're not telling us," Tsunade said suspiciously. "You expect us to believe that your price is saving a life?"

"Now I'm hurt," Orochimaru mocked. "You think me incapable of caring for the welfare of those who have given me their loyalty? How jaded you have grown! But whether you doubt my intentions or not, my offer remains the same. And you can't say it isn't a fair exchange – I heal your apprentice and you heal mine. We both come out ahead, no?"

"He's right, Tsunade," Jiraiya said reluctantly. "It's a fair request."

"I'll have to examine him myself," Tsunade said. "But I'll do my best to heal him, provided Orochimaru holds up his end of the bargain. Are we agreed?"

"I believe we are," Orochimaru said, a gleeful light in his eyes. "I'd say let's shake on it, but I remember what happens when you shake hands with people you don't particularly like."

"Where is this… Kimimaro?" Tsunade asked brusquely. "Can you take me to him now?"

"No time like the present," Orochimaru said, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. "Oh, it's so much _fun_ when old friends get together! Let me show you my little home away from home, but please be understanding – we haven't quite gotten to spring cleaning yet."

He turned to the boulder he'd appeared out of, and made a hand seal that Hinata didn't recognize. The boulder slid aside, revealing a tunnel that sloped downward into the earth. Torches provided some illumination, creating shadows that danced and beckoned. It looked like an entrance into another world, one completely different from the sunlit field they were standing in.

Orochimaru made an impatient gesture. "Well? Shall we go before I die of old age? Hehehe."

Without another word, Jiraiya walked forward. Hinata activated her byakugan, and with it she could see how tense her sensei was. He maintained perfect balance, ready to react to any threat. His chakra was swirling near his hara, needing only a little shaping to unleash a devastating jutsu. Tsunade was equally prepared, a permanent scowl etched on her face.

Orochimaru led the way, taking one of the torches down from its holder affixed to the wall. Hinata and Shizune fell in behind Jiraiya and Tsunade, and the whole procession made their way slowly into the depths of the earth.

Hinata attempted to figure out the layout of the base with her byakugan, but the system of tunnels was vast. She couldn't determine how far they reached, and some rooms that she spied were warded with seals that blocked her vision. After perhaps twenty minutes of walking through tunnels that all looked the same, Orochimaru stopped before a metal door set in the middle of a rock wall. "Here we are," Orochimaru said in a sing-song voice. "My own little slice of heaven."

He opened the door, revealing a large room lit by electricity rather than torches. The walls were still roughly hewn stone, but Hinata could see strange-looking machines with wires that disappeared into little holes in the walls. There was very little furniture, only a table with a few chairs around it. One of them was occupied, by a man who looked to be about the same age as Shizune. He wore his gray hair pulled back in a ponytail, and round glasses that flashed as they caught the light.

"This is Kabuto, a very good friend of mine," Orochimaru began. "Kabuto, we have guests."

From the way Kabuto's eyes widened at the sight of the newcomers, Hinata guessed that Kabuto recognized the Sannin. He controlled his surprise, however, merely pushing his glasses a bit higher up.

Jiraiya seemed to recognize Kabuto as well, because he started and then eyed him openly for a long moment. He seemed about to speak, but then shrugged and seemed to dismiss the younger shinobi. "I'm sure my old teammates need no introduction," Orochimaru laughed, "but the two delightful young ladies they've brought along are quite the mystery to me. With all the excitement going on, I forgot we've never been properly introduced."

Hinata willed her voice not to betray her fear. "I'm Hinata."

"Shizune," Tsunade's apprentice added tersely.

"Delighted," Kabuto said with a sardonic smile. "What can I do for you and your friends today, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Lead us to Kimimaro's chambers, if you would be so kind," Orochimaru said, the hungry light once again entering his eyes.

Now Kabuto looked truly surprised. "Kimimaro? But why?"

The flare of killer intent was sudden, but so strong that Hinata took a single step back. Then Orochimaru, as changeable as the wind, was all smiles again. "No doubt you've heard of Tsunade, the famous medic nin. She's going to see what she can do for our poor comrade."

To Hinata's byakugan-enhanced senses, Kabuto looked ever so slightly annoyed. "Orochimaru-sama, I do not believe this is a good idea. We have done everything possible, and there is no cure. Isn't it best not to raise your hopes only to be disappointed again?"

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Tsunade demanded. "You seem strong, and I don't doubt that you're a passable medic, but, well… you're not me. I'll believe this disease has no cure after examining the patient myself."

Kabuto suppressed the flash of anger that crossed his face while Tsunade was speaking, and bowed low. "As you say, Tsunade-sama. I will bring you to Kimimaro's rooms."

"We're all going along," Jiraiya declared. "I think it best that we remain in each other's company for the time being."

"Oh, yes," Orochimaru agreed, smiling that insincere smile that never failed to give Hinata goosebumps. "You know what they say… safety in numbers."

They all reentered the system of tunnels, and Hinata could tell that they were going even deeper into the ground than before. They walked much longer this time, until Kabuto brought them to a halt outside of a door identical to the one they'd seen before.

Inside the room was dark, the only illumination coming from blinking lights on a bank of machines against the far wall. The darkness was no barrier to Hinata's eyes, however, and she could see that the center of the room was taken up by a hospital bed. The bed was occupied by a boy perhaps a few years older than herself, with a purple dot on his forehead and skin as pale as death. His gray hair was parted in a zig-zag pattern down the middle, and reached down past his shoulders. Tubes stuck out of his body, jutting up from his arms and torso and connecting to the machines against the wall.

As the group entered the room, the patient attempted to sit up. Hinata saw the pained expression cross his face, just before Orochimaru advanced and put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Just rest, Kimimaro. I've brought someone to take a look at you."

Kimimaro only stared up at Orochimaru, the fervent light in his eyes making Hinata feel sick. "Orochimaru-sama…" he whispered.

"Move aside," Tsunade ordered, rubbing her hands together. "It's time to get to work." Her hands began to glow green, casting a soft glow that threw the sickly pallor of Kimimaro's face into stark relief.

Hinata and Shizune took up positions by the door, and Hinata used her byakugan to keep an eye on Kabuto. The Snake Sannin's assistant was good at controlling his expression, but every now and again Hinata caught a muscle twitch that revealed the man's frustration. Hinata didn't know why, but she would bet her life that Kabuto was hoping that Tsunade would fail.

Orochimaru seemed reluctant to leave Tsunade unattended, and kept drifting closer to watch. She ignored him, merely moving her glowing hands around over Kimimaro's emaciated torso and muttering darkly to herself. Jiraiya stayed close to Orochimaru, leaving a slight gap between them and remaining poised to spring into action. Hinata imagined that if a pin dropped, the storm of destructive ninjutsu unleashed by these jumpy shinobi would obliterate the room and everyone in it completely.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably more like minutes, Tsunade nodded to herself and stood straighter.

"Yes? What did you find?" Orochimaru asked, his eagerness shining through.

"Well, I'm still the best medic nin in the world," Tsunade said, casting a significant look at Kabuto, "and I'll bet money I don't have that I can heal this boy. It will cost me dearly in terms of chakra, but as long as you honor your side of the deal I'll cure his disease."

Kimimaro's startled gasp was the only sound that broke the silence. "Done," Orochimaru whispered. "Only heal him, and your little Hyuuga will never have to worry about the Curse Seal again."

"Everyone stand back," Tsunade snapped. She clasped her hands together, and Hinata immediately felt a spike of chakra coming from the blond kunoichi. "_Creation Rebirth!_"

Hinata took a step back as Tsunade's chakra boiled to the surface, enveloping her in an orange shroud. Tsunade's hair whipped back and forth as if caught by an invisible wind, and dark lines spread on her forehead.

"That's Tsunade-sama's greatest technique," Shizune whispered to Hinata, her eyes round. "She can generate completely new cells as long as her chakra lasts, making her practically immortal."

As Tsunade placed her hands on Kimimaro's forehead, the boy arched his back and let out a primal scream. His skin began to ripple, and in places Hinata could see what looked like shards of bone rising and falling underneath the surface of the skin. Orochimaru circled around, talking to Kimimaro in a soothing tone. The boy relaxed visibly when he heard his master's voice, but Hinata could see that his skeletal system was still shifting and realigning in a way that she had never seen before.

In minutes it was over. Tsunade stepped back, panting for breath, and her hands fell to her sides. Shizune gasped – the Slug Sannin's skin was covered with wrinkles that had not been there before. There were delicate crow's feet around her eyes, and she sagged as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders.

"Kimimaro-kun?" Orochimaru asked, showing the first signs of hesitation that Hinata had seen from him. "How do you feel?"

Kimimaro sat up in his bed, and this time Orochimaru didn't stop him. The boy swung one leg over the edge of the bed, then the other. He stood up, and as he did so the tubes and IV drips in his skin ripped away. Kimimaro held his arms out before him, joy and disbelief warring in his eyes. "I feel… _alive_."

oOoOo

Naruto healed the stab wound in his midsection immediately, consciously accelerating the healing process that was one of the greatest gifts of housing the Kyuubi. He directed enough chakra to the wound to stop the blood flow, but he knew that was only a temporary measure.

As long as Hidan kept up the ritual, Naruto couldn't win. Although his opponent seemed to like toying with his victims, Naruto couldn't land a killing blow without killing himself in the process. As long as things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before he lost his life.

Naruto knew what he had to do, and he wasn't going to hold back any more. He had deliberately decided not to use his clones while fighting Hidan, because he wanted to keep some tricks up his sleeve if he got into another fight. Thanks to his reluctance to reveal his signature move, he was now trapped in a death ritual, and the only way out was to reveal an ability that he _certainly _didn't want potential enemies to know about. But there was no other choice.

"Hahahaha!" Hidan shrieked with laughter, inflicting another stab wound upon himself and Naruto, this time in the shoulder. "I could do this all day!"

"I don't think so," Naruto growled, the deep puncture in his shoulder registering as nothing more than a slight stinging sensation. "_Mangekyou sharingan!_"

It was time for his trump card. Naruto gloried in the rush of power that filled him as he unlocked the true power of Shisui's eyes. With these eyes Naruto could unleash attacks that most shinobi could only dream about. It had been Madara himself who taught Naruto how to use the juiced-up sharingan to its full effect, but Naruto didn't think even Madara knew about the technique he was about to use.

It was a variation of Tsukuyomi, the genjutsu that drew an opponent into one's mindscape and inflicted three days of torture in a single second. At great cost to his own body, the wielder of a Mangekyou sharingan could break the mind of even the strongest shinobi.

Naruto had his own version of Tsukuyomi – he wasn't quite sure how it had come to be, but he knew it had something to do with the mingling of his newfound power with the Kyuubi's chakra. There had never before been a jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails with the Uchiha eyes, so Naruto was bound to discover some new tricks. This one he hadn't come up with entirely on his own, however; the Fox had offered a few ideas.

"You think your eyes are going to make a difference?" Hidan screeched. "I'll kill you just the same!"

Naruto didn't bother to reply. This fool was dead already, he just didn't know it. "_Tsukuyomi_!" Naruto locked eyes with Hidan – the S-Rank missing nin was either so stupid, or so overconfident, that he made no effort to avoid Naruto's gaze. The world fell apart.

Naruto blinked, and when he opened his eyes he was in his mindscape. There was a blood-red sun in the sky, and nothing else – no clouds, no creatures, only empty space. Naruto stood on a field of dried-out, brittle grass, stretching out as far as the eye could see. In front of him was a giant cross, upon which Hidan was anchored with giant stakes driven through his wrists and ankles. Blood dripped slowly downward, and when it landed on the ground the grass around it _shivered_, as if the earth could sense the presence of blood.

Hidan swung his head wildly from side to side, panic setting in. "What did you do? Release me!"

"Yeah," Naruto said, dripping sarcasm, "_that_ seems like a good idea."

He walked forward slowly, holding Hidan's eyes with his own. "Take a good look, Hidan. You're in my mindscape. Pretty, isn't it? You know, this is the first time I've ever used this technique - I'm glad it seems to be working so well. I used to be really shitty at genjutsu, if you can believe it."

"It doesn't matter what you do to me!" Hidan blustered. "I am immortal! I cannot die!"

"Yeah, I kind of picked up on that," Naruto said, deadpan. "But like I said, you're not physically here. This is just a projection of your mind, under my control. If I was like the other Uchiha capable of using the Mangekyou sharingan, I'd start torturing you now. But I'm not - and chances are you'd only enjoy it. So I'll do one better. Have you ever met my friend, the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

Apprehension dawned in Hidan's eyes, at the same time that the earth in front of him fell away, crumbling into a huge pit that glowed with an unholy orange light. When Hidan looked down into the pit, for the first time, he looked afraid. "This isn't real!" he screamed. "It's only in my mind – it's just a trick!"

"Wrong," Naruto said in a voice that echoed oddly in the bleak landscape. "It's in _my_ mind, and I can assure you – it's very real. Maybe the fox can't actually _eat_ you, but he can devour something you value just as much as your pitiful life: your chakra. That's the power of my genjutsu – now that I've stripped away the defenses in your mind, the Kyuubi can feast on the very thing that makes you a shinobi. I wonder if you can sustain your little ritual when your ability to mold chakra has been burned out of existence."

A low rumble arose, like thunder or a distance earthquake, coming from the pit at Hidan's feet. "**Enough talk, pup,**" came a voice that shook the world. "**I grow hungry.**"

"I can understand that," Naruto said, cocking his head to one side and nodding. "I mean, you _have_ gone without a proper meal in the last thirteen years or so. Itadakimasu!"

With a wave of Naruto's hand, the cross upon which Hidan was bolted began to fall forward, tipping over with excruciating slowness. Hidan screamed, and he didn't stop screaming as he toppled over and disappeared below the rim of the pit. There was a sound like a huge _gulp_, and then the screaming cut off abruptly.

Naruto nodded with satisfaction. "Who says I never take you out to dinner?"

Naruto blinked again, and he was back in the Audience Chamber of Amegakure, standing across from Hidan. The missing nin was no longer in his Grim Reaper form – his skin was back to its normal color, but the shinobi's eyes were rolled up in their sockets. Slowly, almost gracefully, the shinobi crumpled to the ground.

There was perfect silence, until…

"Yosh! Naruto, I knew you would prevail!" Lee's cheering rebounded off the stone walls.

Naruto took a step forward and nearly fell, the strain of using his Mangekyou hitting him all at once. He noted distantly that the vision in his right eye was blurry, but he had no time to worry about that. He locked eyes with Kakuzu, and took another step.

"Your partner is as good as dead. He has no chakra anymore, and I'm pretty sure I fried his brain as well. Now, I'd take it as a personal kindness if you'd let my friend go."

Kakuzu watched him impassively, then looked up at Pain. The leader of Ame waved his hand imperiously. "Let her go. I have seen everything I wish to see."

Without another word, Kakuzu withdrew the living strings that kept Tenten captive. She used the Body-Flicker jutsu and appeared next to Naruto, just in time to lend him her shoulder as he staggered.

"Thanks," he muttered. Without the Kyuubi's chakra from his Two-Tail form sustaining him, Naruto was rapidly coming to realize that he had overextended himself… badly. Fighting the wave of fatigue that sent black spots shooting through his vision, he turned to Fugaku, Guy, and his fellow genin. He waved his finger at the General in what he hoped was an intimidating way.

"Fugaku, you're in charge. Don't let them kill or capture any more of my friends, or I'll kick your ass. I think I'm going… to take a nap now…"

His vision went completely black, and the last thing Naruto heard before he lost consciousness was Tenten shouting his name.

oOoOo

Several hours after Tsunade healed Kimimaro, Hinata was beginning to wish she hadn't. Orochimaru had been examining her Curse Seal ever since, and every time the Snake Sannin's hands touched her skin, Hinata felt an overpowering urge to vomit. The man made her feel unclean, and the combination of malice and sickening amusement he radiated was terrifying. But she locked her jaw and kept silent, knowing that Jiraiya thought this man was her village's best chance.

"This seal is truly a work of art," Orochimaru said at last, the approval in his eyes drawing a snort of disgust from Tsunade.

"I don't care what it is," Jiraiya said calmly. "You've had enough time – what do you think?"

"I think it's no wonder the two of you weren't able to break it," Orochimaru responded immediately. "The seal attaches itself to the chakra coils nearest the brain, and sustains itself by constantly siphoning off a little bit of chakra. It's like a parasite, and it has its claws deeply embedded in this poor girl. It's not a question of delicate chakra control at all – if this seal is completely removed, no matter how carefully, the chakra coils will rupture and the result is instant death. But I can see a way around that."

Tsunade stepped forward and squeezed Hinata's hand, wordlessly offering comfort and strength. "What exactly might that be?" the Slug Sannin asked.

Orochimaru bared his teeth. "I override the Curse Seal with another of my own design. With a little modification, I can make my Curse Seal act like a virus. The Hyuuga seal will not recognize the addition of foreign chakra, because my seal will imitate its structure. Then, just like a virus infiltrating the cells of the human body, my seal will begin to take over, until the original seal is completely negated by the new one."

"A plan worthy of your twisted mind," Jiraiya said, and Orochimaru bowed ironically. "Trust you to have a Curse Seal of your own."

"Oh, it's a thing of beauty," Orochimaru said, sounding flattered rather than offended. "Aside from the 90% chance of death… it's a slight drawback, I'll admit. But if the recipient has a strong will, then the chances of survival increase."

"Forget about it," Tsunade said immediately. "Applying this seal has a one in ten chance of survival? I won't take that risk."

"It's not your choice," Hinata said, surprising herself as much as everyone else in the room. "I'm the one with the seal, and I want to take the risk. It's more than worth it."

"Oho," Orochimaru cackled, sounding surprised, "so the little mouse has some backbone after all! I was beginning to think the infamous Hyuuga pride had been beaten out of them by the Uchiha."

"Shut up, snake," Tsunade said brusquely, locking eyes with Hinata. "Listen, girl-"

"You're not going to change my mind," Hinata interrupted. "We need to know if this can work, and I've waited long enough."

"Jiraiya, tell me you're not all right with this!" Tsunade demanded. The Toad Sage sighed.

"Orochimaru's right about a new Curse Seal overtaking another one… I should have thought of it myself. And if anyone has a will strong enough to master the onslaught of foreign chakra in her system, it's Hinata. But rest assured, Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, his voice cold as ice. "If she doesn't make it, you won't survive her by a minute. Are _you_ willing to take that chance?"

"Well now," Orochimaru practically hissed, "the plot thickens." He smiled at Hinata. "We both live, or we both die… what do you say, girl? Want to toss the dice?"

Hinata only nodded. She had made her choice long ago.

The next thing she knew, Orochimaru's neck _stretched_, exactly like a snake, and his head approached her with terrible speed. His mouth opened, revealing sharp fangs, and before Hinata could react he pierced her forehead with his fangs, directly in the center of the Hyuuga curse seal.

Her head exploded with pain, and Hinata knew no more.

oOoOo

When Fugaku spoke, his controlled cadence was more effective than any amount of shouting. "I'm wondering why I shouldn't declare a state of war right now," he said. "As the highest-ranking member of Konoha's government still conscious, I have the authority. And considering that I've just witnessed you attempt to murder the Hokage's heir, I'm finding it hard to think of reasons why I shouldn't finish what Naruto started."

From his place next to Naruto's unconscious form, Takeshi bared his teeth in a silent snarl. He was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Please don't be hasty," Pain responded, sounding bored. "This boy's death was never part of my plan."

"Oh, so you have a plan now, do you? I thought this was just one of your 'associates' deciding to do whatever pleases him. How do I know your other _associates_ won't take it into their heads to murder my team?"

"Hidan was insane and unstable," Pain replied patiently. "I knew I had to take care of him at some point, and the boy saved me the trouble. The rest of my associates are trustworthy, and they do, in fact, follow my orders. Forgive the subterfuge; it was for the best."

"So you used us to get rid of your problem child?"

"That's right," Pain agreed. "I had to test the strength of your shinobi in order to see if you were worthy, and Hidan's greatest weakness is his love of bloodshed. I hoped to resolve two issues with a single contest."

Fugaku slammed his walking stick on the floor, a gesture of extreme irritation. "That doesn't change the fact that Naruto could have died! Were you prepared for war if he had been killed?"

Pain shrugged. "Of course. Hidan was the weakest of our number. If the son of your Hokage couldn't defeat him, then an alliance between our villages would be useless. Even a war would be preferable to forging a connection with a village of weaklings."

Pain shifted in his chair, and his eyes grew more intense. "As I said before, I have a plan. I want the world to know peace, and that is only possible once everyone understands the value of peace through pain. My village will subdue the world through fire and death, leading them forcefully down the path to peace, and I will only accept allies of sufficient strength. That is why Deidara, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Konan work for me, and it is why I wish to offer you an alliance, now that I have seen what young Naruto is capable of."

"I think you've got a lot of gall to talk about alliances after pulling a stunt like that," Fugaku sneered. "It's only because you've got an overwhelming tactical advantage that I haven't attacked already. But rest assured, when I report to the Hokage, I have no doubt that he'll pay you a personal visit and tell you himself what he thinks about people who put his son in danger."

"Why don't I pay _him_ a visit?" Pain asked. "Clearly, we don't see eye to eye on this matter. I will surrender myself, along with my colleagues, and we will demonstrate our good faith by accompanying you to Konoha. I will relate my motives to Madara himself, and let him judge whether I am trustworthy."

Fugaku debated internally for several long seconds before coming to a decision. "That may be what Madara wants, but I won't allow you into Konoha before the Hokage gives his permission. You and your friends could cause a lot of damage if you wanted. So here's my counter-offer: you let us leave in peace, so we can return to Konoha and see Naruto to a hospital. Then I'll tell the Hokage about your offer of parole, and send a messenger hawk with a return message. Is that acceptable?"

Pain inclined his head gravely. "It is."

"Then we're getting the hell out here. Guy, take point. Takeshi, carry Naruto. I want to be out of this godforsaken village before the hour's up."

The Konoha shinobi left the Audience Chamber in formation, with Fugaku staying between them and Pain. His sharingan eyes whirled, and he departed without so much as a bow. The door swung closed after them, shutting out the outside world with a resounding crash.

Deidara looked up at his employer and whistled. "Well, that went better than expected!"

Hours later, Konan reported to Nagato. His real body was in a higher level of the Tower, surrounded by three of his Paths. Konan was more agitated than Nagato could remember her being in a long time.

"You're going to Konoha?" she demanded, without waiting for him to speak. "Why?"

"Because it's where I need to be," he replied, staring eerily at things she couldn't see. "The boy is there."

"Naruto?" Konan asked, confused. "Why is he so important?"

"The boy is everything," Nagato whispered. "He is the reason I instructed Hidan to attack one of the Sealed shinobi. I wanted to see how he would react. He is not an Uchiha, yet he has their eyes – he is a mystery I needed to unravel."

"And now you suddenly have to go to Konoha?"

"It's where I need to be," Nagato replied once again. "Naruto is young and naïve, as I once was. He loves his comrades with unwavering strength, little knowing that his love is founded on a lie. He has the greatest potential for pain that I have ever seen."

Then something extraordinary happened, something that would remain in Konan's memory forever. Nagato smiled.

"He will know pain," Nagato predicted, "as none before him ever have. And together, he and I will bring peace to this world."

oOoOo

Hinata awoke in a hospital bed, her head on fire. When she tried to activate her byakugan and scan her surroundings, she couldn't focus enough to shape her chakra.

"Relax," came an unfamiliar voice. "Your chakra system is still coming to terms with Orochimaru-sama's seal. You should not attempt any jutsu until you stabilize."

Hinata turned her head and saw Kimimaro – the strange boy was lying in a bed next to her. The two of them were in a room aboveground, with windows letting in the sunlight. Without her byakugan, Hinata felt completely disoriented. She had no idea where she was, or what lay around her.

"Where…" she croaked, finding that her throat was terribly dry.

"Your traveling companions should be here shortly," Kimimaro said calmly. "They have been monitoring you closely. I underestimated you, it appears… I thought you would surely succumb to the Heaven Seal. It is not kind to weaklings."

Hinata forced herself to smile widely, not wanting to show weakness before this emotionless boy. "Neither am I."

"That is good to hear," Kimimaro said, and he sounded sincere. "I do not want to be on a team with trash."

"Excuse me?" Hinata was confused.

"You are to be my teammate," Kimimaro repeated. "During the Chuunin Exams. You, me, and Kabuto-san will form one of the teams from Otogakure."

Hinata felt like she was missing something important. She willed herself to concentrate, doing her best to ignore the splitting pain in her head.

"Chuunin Exams? What do you mean?"

Kimimaro made a short, impatient sigh. "I suppose you have been unconscious for a while, so I shouldn't lose my temper. Very well – the invitations were sent out by Konoha about a week ago. The Hokage wishes to restart the tradition of international Chuunin Exams, which was discontinued after the Uchiha Uprising six years ago. Konoha wants to hold the Chuunin Exams as a way of declaring their willingness to work with the other villages in the future. As a gesture of respect to Kirigakure, which is still recovering after their civil war, the Hokage pushed back the date. The Chuunin Exams will be held eighteen months from now, which gives us more than enough time to recover after our ordeals. You need to learn how to wield the power of your Curse Seal, and I need to overcome years of physical deterioration due to my illness. But when the time comes, we will serve Orochimaru-sama with honor."

Hinata had done her best to follow this flood of information, but that last part made her splutter with indignation.

"She's awake!" The jovial voice cut off what Hinata had been about to say. Jiraiya had entered the room, a huge smile plastered on the man's face. He was followed by Tsunade and Shizune, both of whom looked overjoyed to see her awake.

"You're a tough little one, aren't you?" Jiraiya said gruffly. "I knew you'd pull through! Now, you want to see my old teammate's handiwork?"

He held up a hand-sized mirror, which Hinata used to see what had happened to her seal. It was still there, the two shepherd's crooks separated by an X. But now, overlaid atop the X, there were three dark marks shaped like teardrops and arranged in a circle. As Hinata focused on the strange new seal inscribed in her flesh, she could feel a deep throbbing emanating from Orochimaru's curse seal. It felt different from her headache; in fact, it felt like nothing Hinata had ever experienced before.

"Tell me," she said, tearing her eyes away from the mirror, "is Kimimaro telling the truth? The Uchiha are reinstating the Chuunin Exams?"

"That's right," Tsunade confirmed. "In a year and a half, Madara will invite every village to send their genin to be tested. And I doubt you need too many guesses to figure out what that means."

"So for the next eighteen months," Jiraiya added, "prepare to work your ass off! You'll be the first shinobi in history to be trained by not one, not two, but _all three_ of the Sannin! If you don't win that tournament, I might well die of shame."

"Your training will be very important, Hinata," Tsunade said grimly. "You're still technically a servant, as long as your body double hasn't been discovered. During the hubbub of the Exams, you can switch back and coordinate with the Sealed shinobi. It will be up to you to make sure that they get the antidotes for the Seal."

"Antidote? But didn't Orochimaru have to give me a new seal himself?"

"Yes," Tsunade said, "but that's where I come in. I believe that by working together, Orochimaru and I can modify his Curse Seal so that it doesn't have a risk of death. It will take many months of research, but we have months. None of these Curse Seals will be as powerful as the ones you and Kimimaro possess, but the important thing is to manufacture a seal that doesn't kill its victims. Then we can create a delivery system that _you_ can use, and the next thing you know…"

Jiraiya jumped to finish her sentence, "the Uchiha have a full-scale rebellion on their hands. Not to mention an invasion featuring the joint forces of Otogakure and Sunagakure."

Hinata couldn't speak, she was so overwhelmed by emotion. After so many years of suffering, there was hope for her family and her village. Soon she would be able to go home.

"Get some rest, kid," Jiraiya told her kindly. "Tomorrow we'll start your training proper. In only eighteen months, we're going to war."

**End of Part 5**

**A/N: **At long last, we've reached the moment everyone's been waiting for! There will be a time skip of a year and a half, which will bring the protagonists to about Shippuuden age, and then the first ever Uchiha Chuunin Exams will begin!

Please take a moment to let me know what you thought of the story so far. I'd also like to hear your thoughts about how you see the story going forward. Are there any fights that you'd particularly want to watch? Any conversations or confrontations you want to witness? Send me your ideas in a review, and if I like them I may incorporate them into the story's final arc and give you a shout-out and a big fat stack of nothing :)

Thanks for staying with me on this long and winding road. See you next time!


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: **Here we go! This promises to be the trickiest part of the entire story, as all of the plot lines are converging at once, with a whole lot of named characters to keep track of. I'll do my best to do everyone justice, and sprinkle in some character development around the endless battles that are about to ensue.

There were a few questions about Naruto that I wanted to answer before I go on.

First, Naruto can turn his sharingan on and off - this is a result of the work that Madara and a team of medic nins put in during Part 3, when they tested the extent of Naruto's healing capabilities before transplanting Shisui's sharingan. Also, Naruto's natural eye color right now is currently black, as much as I miss his baby blues.

Second, Naruto's ability to wield the MS is a result of Shisui's eyes - Shisui had the MS, so Naruto has access to it, too. It isn't the Eternal MS, and if Naruto uses it too much, he'll go blind just like any other Uchiha.

Third, Naruto's exhaustion after defeating Hidan was not because he manifested two tails, but rather because he had never wielded the MS in battle. Using his modified Tsukuyomi was too much for him, after already expending chakra healing a mortal wound. But after eighteen months of continuous training, Naruto's mastery with the MS will be much greater, as will be his control over the Kyuubi. As of Part 3, Naruto could manifest up to 6 tails with no trouble, and by now he has grown much stronger.

Fourth, the sharingan will not morph into the Rinnegan in my story - they are separate doujutsu.

Finally, Naruto does have access to Shisui's signature genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, which can manipulate people into doing what the user wants by planting false experiences inside their minds. It's incredibly powerful, but can only be used once every ten years. Naruto may also have additional sharingan-based abilities that derive from the integration of Uchiha abilities with the Kyuubi's chakra. It's a combination that the world has never seen before, and it's bound to create new powers. That's why Naruto's Tsukuyomi is different - it allows Naruto to create a link between the Kyuubi and the victim's mind, through which the Kyuubi can drain the victim's chakra. It's essentially like a feast to the trapped demon, which is why he talks to Naruto with a bit of wary respect. They're not friends, but as long as Naruto is willing to provide him with chakra as strong as Hidan's, for example, the Kyuubi is willing to be gracious. It's not like he has much of a choice, after all - with Naruto wielding the MS, there is very little chance that the Kyuubi will ever be able to break free of his own accord.

That's all I've got for now, so let the Exams begin!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Part 6: The Chuunin Exams**

**Chapter 32**

In an underground chamber far from prying eyes, the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist sat around a circular table. With Zabuza at their head, the Swordsmen - and one Swordswoman - formed Kirigakure's War Council. Sasuke could barely contain his excitement at being included in this meeting. While he did possess one of the seven famous swords that denoted membership in Kirigakure's elite unit, this was the first time he had been included in a high-level meeting with his brother, Zabuza, Kisame, and Mei.

"You all know why you're here," Zabuza said quietly, his filed teeth glinting dangerously in the dim glow. "The Hokage has sent word that preparations for the Chuunin Exams are complete. Finally, it is time to honor the agreement I made with Itachi years ago. Kirigakure marches to war. Are we ready?"

The shinobi sitting next to Sasuke, a boy his own age with violet eyes and snow-white hair, scoffed loudly. "Ready?! Of course we are! We'll send those red-eyed devils to the depths of hell!"

Sasuke chuckled softly. Suigetsu never did understand when to keep his mouth shut. The sole surviving member of the Houzuki clan was outspoken to the point of being brash, which was a trait that Sasuke kind of liked about him, though it did tend to get the boy into trouble with his superior officers.

Suigetsu was the newest shinobi to have been granted the title of Swordsman of the Hidden Mist, and had been on a team with Sasuke and Haku for a little over a year. He and his brother had been driven out of the village by Masanori, back when clans possessing kekkei genkai were targeted mercilessly by the Mizukage. Suigetsu had managed to escape, but only because his brother Mangetsu sacrificed himself to hold off the Mizukage's death squad.

Several weeks after Zabuza had published his amnesty and invited all kekkei genkai users to reunite with Kiri, Suigetsu had returned to the village, glad to fight for the man who had brought his brother's murderer to justice. Kisame and Zabuza had both fought alongside Mangetsu in years past, and once Suigetsu proved his strength in battle, the new Mizukage was happy to induct him as the final Swordsman.

Suigetsu now wielded Hiramekarei, the double-handed sword that could store the user's chakra and then manipulate it into new forms. Given Suigetsu's unique ability that allowed him to turn his body into water and take on any shape he chose, Hiramekarei seemed to be a perfect match for him. He currently wore it slung casually over his shoulder, where it rested as if it were part of his body.

Zabuza only stared at Suigetsu, his blood-red eyes - a souvenir of the Vampire Bat clan, and the smallest of the alterations that had turned the former missing-nin into a powerful jinchuuriki - seeming to pin the younger shinobi in place.

"Did I give any indication that I was talking to you?" Zabuza asked wryly. "Don't answer that," he snapped when Suigetsu opened his mouth. "In fact, in the future, assume that any question I ask is meant for people with far more intelligence than you. Now, those of you who are actually _responsible_ for preparing the village for war, let me ask again: are we ready?"

Mei covered her smile with a fake cough, while Kisame laughed openly at Suigetsu's outraged squawk. Itachi spoke over his angry splutters.

"As ready as we'll ever be. Gatou's money has been put to good use, and our stores of ninja tools and weaponry are capable of supplying a much larger army than we currently have."

"Excellent," Zabuza said, grinning with satisfaction. "Mei?"

The former Mizukage's daughter yawned and stretched. She looked like a sleepy panther, all sinuous grace and effortlessly restrained violence. "Recruitment is up ten percent," she drawled, sounding bored. "Thanks to our efforts reaching out to the citizens, the shinobi who were exiled by Masanori are starting to come out of hiding. We've gained some invaluable kekkei genkai that were thought to be extinct, though not as many as I'd like. My father has a lot to answer for."

For a moment her eyes expressed a deep bitterness, but then she was back in control, her emotionless mask firmly in place. Sasuke felt a twinge of sympathy at her words. Mei, like Sasuke and Itachi, knew the pain of watching family members betray the village that they loved. It was inspiring to Sasuke that she fought so valiantly to make the new Kirigakure a better place. And after sparring with her many times over the past year and a half, Sasuke was very, _very_ glad that Mei was on their side.

Kisame grunted shortly, drawing Zabuza's attention. "Itachi and I have also drawn up some contingency plans, in case we run into unforeseen complications. The Chuunin Exams are our best opportunity to strike, but they also leave a lot of random variables. There's no telling how the representatives from the other villages will react. They may worry that you're making a bid for power, and strike back accordingly."

"That's a risk we'll have to accept," Zabuza said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Besides, by now, all of the other villages are aware of Madara's ambition. The Chuunin Exams are only the start, and we all know it. Given the opportunity to let someone else take care of the problem for them, the other Kages will most likely sit back and watch."

Itachi's voice radiated quiet confidence. "And if they don't, we'll be ready for them."

"Well then," Zabuza grinned, sitting back and folding his hands behind his head, "it seems like the only thing left is choosing which genin teams to send to the Exams. I do feel a bit bad about that - once the fighting starts, our genin are going to be in a stadium filled with Konoha's strongest shinobi. It's like sending lambs to the slaughter."

Kisame gave a raspy chuckle that contained a decidedly malicious satisfaction. "Some of those genin will be wolves in lamb's clothing. Has Itachi told you about the new plan?"

"Not yet - what is it?"

Itachi met Sasuke's eyes briefly, and smiled sadly before turning to Zabuza. "We're going to send the young ones in as a genin team. They'll be responsible for getting the rest of our genin out of the village and back to our main army once the invasion begins."

"What?"

"No!"

Sasuke and Suigetsu cried out at the same moment, surging to their feet. On Sasuke's left side, Haku remained still and silent. Though he probably agreed with their sentiments, he would not voice any opposition until he knew what Zabuza's orders were. That loyalty was one of Haku's best qualities, and it was also one of the traits that Sasuke hated most about his teammate.

"We're Swordsmen too!" Sasuke protested. "We should be leading our shinobi into battle, not playacting in the stupid Exams!"

"That's right!" said Suigetsu. "We're warriors, not nursemaids. Kiri shinobi know the risks, even genin. We should be with the shinobi breaching the walls!"

"Your bravery is noted," Kisame said, a note of quiet pride in his voice. Whatever the reason, the shark-skinned shinobi seemed to have a soft spot for Suigetsu. Sasuke wondered if it was because there personalities were both so abrasive. "But there's a lot more to this mission than 'playacting.' Despite your status as Swordsmen, you three are all still genin, and that means you're qualified to participate in the Chuunin Exams. That's a very good thing for us, because we need qualified people on the inside."

"We're only nominally genin!" Suigetsu huffed. "I'm easily jonin level, and I'm the weakest of us."

Sasuke knew Suigetsu must be very upset, if he was willing to admit that he wasn't stronger than his two teammates. Normally he maintained that he could beat both of them into a pulp, no matter what the results of their training sessions indicated.

"You think these Exams are merely a formality?" Itachi shook his head slowly. "You're wrong. Madara plans to use them to showcase the Uchiha's might to the world. I have no doubt that he will only send the strongest of the Uchiha cadets - among whom, you ought to remember, is his adopted son. No matter what you might think of genin in general, I can assure you, the jinchuuriki who houses the Kyuubi will be truly powerful. He bested Sasuke in seconds, and even managed to injure _me_."

"What?!" Suigetsu was so shocked he forgot to be angry.

"That's right," Itachi nodded. "The genin in these Exams will not be your average genin. Konoha wants to make a statement, and every other village will send the best shinobi they can in retaliation. It's been so many years since an international Chuunin Exam has been held, and so the Kages will want to use this one to determine how the power balance has shifted. I wouldn't be surprised if some even send prodigies or higher-ranking shinobi masquerading as genin. You three are some of the best shinobi we can field, regardless of your age, but even you will be sorely tested in these Exams. And don't think that you won't see battle. When the Invasion starts, you will be in the most vulnerable position imaginable. Every off-duty Uchiha will want a piece of you, and you will literally be surrounded by enemies. Likely the battle you fight will be more heated even than our breaching of the walls."

"I think I've heard enough," Zabuza declared, gesturing at Suigetsu and Sasuke with his giant sword, Kubikiriboucho. "Sit down, you two. Kisame and Itachi are right - we need you to participate in the Exams, both to have eyes on the inside and to take charge of the rest of our participants. Keeping the youth of the village safe is an important task, and I wouldn't entrust it to anyone less worthy."

Suigetsu seemed slightly mollified, and even Sasuke recognized that it was fruitless to argue any further. At the very least, he promised himself, he'd take down a few Uchiha when the time came. And if he was completely honest with himself, he relished the possibility of running into Naruto again. Sasuke had a few scores to settle after experiencing the power of the blond jinchuuriki. The next time they met, it wouldn't be Sasuke who went flying into a tree.

Haku spoke up for the first time, his calm voice indicating nothing more than gentle curiosity. "If we are to be a genin team, then who is our jonin sensei? We have not trained with many of the village's other jonin, and the only shinobi with higher rank than the three of us are in this room. It might be difficult for shinobi who know of our true ability to act convincingly under the scrutiny of the Uchiha."

"I have the perfect solution," Zabuza said, looking across the table slyly. "Mei... what do you say? Want to be a jonin-sensei?"

Now it was Mei's turn to become outraged. "Forget it, Zabuza! I'll be _damned_ before I let my shinobi march into battle without me in the lead."

"Of course you'll be in the lead," Zabuza said, holding his hands out placatingly. "Assuming that even one of the brats can get into the final round, you'll be in the stadium with me when the battle begins. How do you feel about joining me in a fight to the death against Madara?"

Mei's anger disappeared instantly, leaving her with a satisfied smirk, like a cat that got into the cream. "Oh, Zabuza," she practically purred, "Why didn't you say so? You had me believing I'd be escorting genin. If I thought you were trying to keep me safe..." she flashed him a murderous smile, "...I'd have to hurt you."

Zabuza laughed heartily. "I wouldn't dream of it. No, if I'm going to go head to head with the most dangerous shinobi alive, I want you there with me every step of the way."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this touchy-feely talk. Zabuza was supposed to be a stone-cold killer, but lately Mei seemed to bring out a different side of him. He'd also noticed that the two of them seemed to head into the Mizukage's Office for "emergency debriefings" more and more often these days. Sasuke thought of how, only months ago, they had seemed to hate each other's guts, and sighed deeply. He might be nearing sixteen years of age, but he didn't think he was ever going to understand adults.

"Then it's settled," Itachi said, breaking the sickly-sweet moment with casual ease. "Mei will lead Sasuke, Haku, and Suigetsu during the Exams, while Kisame and I each take command of half of our forces. Zabuza will travel to Konoha once the final round begins, and then the Invasion will begin."

_Then the Invasion will begin..._

Sasuke shivered. All of the years of hiding, planning, waiting, were over. He looked at Haku and then Suigetsu, sharing a tight smile of anticipation with his friends. "Who's ready to become a chuunin?" he asked brightly.

oOoOo

Sakura and Ino faced off in the center of Sandstorm's training dojo, their feet planted firmly on the treacherous sand. It took a long time to adjust to fighting on the shifting terrain, as it required constant expenditure of chakra to push off quickly. It was a lot like water-walking, and the shinobi of Suna became experts in the technique almost before they could walk. While they had been born in Konoha, the two kunoichi had mastered this particular technique years ago, and fought in the desert with the skill of any Suna native.

Ino raised one eyebrow, the right side of her mouth quirking upward. "Ready, Forehead?" She held two braided leather whips with wooden handles, one in each hand, and as she called out her challenge she snapped them both against the ground. The twin _cracks_ echoed off the dojo's sandstone walls.

Sakura couldn't help smiling at the old nickname. "I guess you'll find out, Ino-pig!" She dipped both hands into her belt pouch, grabbing a double handful of senbon tipped with a weak paralytic poison. She didn't have to exercise any caution with most poisons these days, especially one so weak, because she had immunized herself carefully over the years. It was a regimen that required regular application of minute amounts of poison, and the process was excruciatingly painful. But over the years, she had developed an impressive resistance to even her most deadly poisons.

Sakura began the fight by flinging the volley of senbon at Ino. The blond kunoichi snapped her wrists, bringing her whips up and around in a quick motion. With pinpoint precision she knocked the senbon out of the air, then ran forward to bring Sakura within range of her weapons. Sakura wasn't about to let that happen - she knew it wasn't a good idea to grapple with Ino while she was wielding her whips. Taijutsu wasn't very effective when you couldn't even block for fear that Ino would trap your arms or legs and then move in for the finishing blow.

So instead of running in to meet Ino, Sakura put on a burst of speed and shot to the left, rolling under a viper-quick strike that passed so close over her head that she could feel the wind it generated. Ino cursed as her whip snapped uselessly into the sand, then spun and lashed out with her remaining weapon. Sakura jumped out of range, throwing a second set of senbon at her opponent.

Just as Ino brought up her whips to defend, Sakura gathered her chakra and pushed it out through her feet, simultaneously activating the Body-Flicker jutsu. The advanced jutsu combined highly refined chakra control with enhanced reflexes to generate an incredible burst of speed. Sakura wasn't proficient enough with it to create an after-image like her sensei could, but she was certainly able to close the distance with Ino before the blond kunoichi finished deflecting the barrage of senbon.

Sakura charged low, holding two oversized senbon angled inward along her forearms. Ino didn't bother trying to redirect her whips in time - instead, she dropped the handles and formed a series of hand seals with blinding speed. Sakura had just enough time to feel worried before the genjutsu struck.

Raw pain flooded her nervous system, and an overwhelming sense of vertigo forced Sakura to her knees. She struggled to come to her senses, a little impressed in spite of herself at the brutal efficiency of Ino's genjutsu. The Yamanaka's knowledge of the human brain definitely came in handy when shaping her techniques. This was hardly one of Ino's best, just a brute-force technique that disoriented the opponent. Still, that didn't make it any less effective.

Sakura tightened her hold on the senbon in her hands, forcing them to pierce her own skin. The sudden flashes of pain, completely different from the agony that her mind only _believed_ it was suffering, anchored her to reality for a brief moment. That was enough for her to break the genjutsu, just in time to see Ino lunging forward, fist cocked for a knock-out blow.

Sakura twisted slightly, allowing Ino's punch to go sailing harmlessly past her head, and jabbed her elbow back in a swift strike to Ino's stomach. It landed squarely, eliciting a pained gasp and allowing Sakura to grab Ino's outstretched arm with her other hand. Sakura used her leverage to throw Ino over her shoulder in a classic wrestling move. Ino was lifted off her feet, but before she went crashing into the sand she managed to bring her lower body around even more quickly, swinging her feet into Sakura's sternum and pushing off. Sakura went skidding back several yards, her chest aching from the solid hit. Ino flew backwards as well, executing a backflip in midair before landing on her feet.

The two kunoichi watched each other warily, both breathing heavily. "How did you break the genjutsu?" Ino asked. "I didn't leave you enough time to suppress your chakra."

"I figured you might try something like that," Sakura said, tossing her head to one side to get a strand of hair out of her face. "So I had my senbon ready to stab myself if necessary." She held up her hands, where the small wounds from the oversized senbon were leaking trails of red down her arms. Apparently she'd misjudged how much force she needed, because there was already quite a lot of blood.

There came a round of applause from behind her, taking Sakura by surprise. She had completely forgotten about their audience. Shino, Kiba, and Choji had been resting while the girls sparred, but Sakura had completely forgotten about them while focusing on Ino.

Sakura turned, and saw that their audience had grown. Kakashi and Asuma were standing next to the boys, and Asuma was giving them a thumbs up while smiling goofily. Kakashi was clapping like mad, a twinkle in his uncovered eye.

Strangely enough, they both held large cloth sacks slung over their backs, both large enough to fit several bodies. Sakura paused for a second, wondering why she had chosen that particular method of measurement. Then she shrugged. It came with job, she supposed.

"Not bad, you two," Asuma called out, "but we're going to stop you there. We brought you all some presents!"

Ino walked over to Sakura, rubbing her stomach ruefully. "That was a nice hit, Forehead," she said with a smile, resting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. Then she picked up the whips that she had dropped onto the sand at Sakura's feet, coiling them expertly and hanging them from her belt pouch. Ino rushed over to the Sandstorm captains, exclaiming happily, "But it isn't even my birthday!"

The five genin gathered in a loose semi-circle. The Sand Siblings and Shikamaru were all absent, since they were sitting in on a Council meeting with Baki and the Kazekage.

The Sand Siblings were included because they were the children of the Kazekage, and Shikamaru was there because, for the past few months, he had been a part of the War Council in charge of drawing up Suna's battle plans. The Suna Elders might have doubted Sandstorm's abilities for a long time, but they changed their tune once Shikamaru exposed all of the flaws in their original plans. Now he was the Council's golden boy, only slightly less valuable than Gaara in their eyes.

Kakashi and Asuma put their bags on the ground, causing a metallic sound to ring out. Sakura was intrigued.

"What we're about to give you represent the best efforts of Suna's finest craftsmen. They have been working nonstop for more than six months to prepare these for you, all to give you an edge in the upcoming Chuunin Exams."

Kiba rubbed his hands together with glee. At his feet, Akamaru let out a fierce yip. "What's in there, sensei?"

Kakashi glanced at him, the glint in his eye even more pronounced. "Patience, Kiba. We're enjoying this as much as you are, so let us do this the right way."

Kiba pouted. "I _hate_ being patient!" he whined.

Asuma ignored his complaint. "As you know, Sandstorm will be representing Suna in the Chuunin Exams. You are to play a vital part in the invasion, one that requires you to masquerade as genin until the proper moment. However, your true identities must remain secret, which is the reason most of you have been training in different fighting styles for years. One Shadow Possession jutsu from Shikamaru, for example, and your cover would be blown. That makes our task more difficult, because the competition will be tough enough as it is, without using your signature techniques."

Sakura nodded in agreement. While she had no bloodline ability or signature clan techniques, the five other orphans from Konoha did. That was why Ino fought with her whips, and why Kiba had been training with Baki in the taijutsu style of the Sunagakure hunter nin. Each of the dispossessed heirs of Konoha's mightiest clans had cultivated a new style in addition to the one that they were born with, all for the purposes of infiltrating the Exams. But no matter how good they all became with their secondary styles, they were still handicapping themselves, and as such might be at a disadvantage against Uchiha Cadets with fully developed sharingan.

"In light of the tactical difficulties you will face," Kakashi continued, "we thought it would be a good idea to come up with a few options. We consulted with Elder Chiyo, and she came up with a brilliant idea. Seven months later, this is the result."

Kakashi and Asuma untied the drawstrings keeping the sacks closed, and with a dramatic flourish Kakashi showed them what was inside. Sakura gasped.

It was a suit of body armor, jet-black and metallic, yet Kakashi held it as though it weighed almost nothing. It gleamed in the bright light, every inch of it polished to perfection.

"This is yours, Sakura," Kakashi said, holding it out to her. "Customized and fitted to you personally. It's light and flexible, with articulated joints for ease of movement, yet it will stand up to anything up to and including an explosive tag."

Sakura took the armor reverently, wondering at how light it felt. On the breastplate, the kanji for Sandstorm was etched in blood-red lettering.

"That's not all," Asuma said, enthused. "Elder Chiyo added a few things personally. For example, there are two compartments on either hip that have been sealed with fuuinjutsu. Just like a storage scroll, they can contain a vast supply of ninja tools. Right now they've been filled with poisoned senbon - the compartment on your right has senbon tipped with scorpion venom, and the compartment on the left carries the ones with the paralytic. Don't worry about using up your supply; there's enough in there to last you for years. There's also a treasure trove of medical supplies sealed into the panel on your right leg."

Sakura couldn't wait to try on the armor, but she couldn't see how it was constructed. It appeared to be a seamless whole. Asuma grinned when he saw her confusion. "This is the best part," he said happily. "Each suit of armor is constructed like a ninja puppet, and it's keyed to your chakra. You're the only person who can wear it. Place your hand on the breastplate, right over the Sandstorm kanji… go on!"

Sakura held out her hand, and the armor seemed to tremble at her touch. Then it burst open, unfolding in front of her like a flower bud blooming at high speed. Sakura stepped into it, placing her arms through the openings. Once she was secure, she flared her chakra, and felt chakra from the suit pulse in response. The armor snapped close of its own accord, molding to her body like a living thing.

It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Sakura flexed her muscles, bending her arms and legs, and the armor moved with her. She could barely feel the extra weight, and when she jumped up to determine if her range of motion was at all limited, she found that she could still direct chakra through the modified material of the boots.

"Seems like it suits you well enough," Asuma said with a wink. "Now, there are a few more features to your suit, but I don't want to overwhelm you with information. It comes with a manual, so get ready to study up before the Exams."

Kiba, who had been waiting as patiently as he knew how, couldn't contain himself any longer. "Gimme my suit!" he yelled, jumping up and down in frustration.

Kakashi laughed heartily, patting the excitable Inuzuka on the back. "Oh, I think you're going to like yours, Kiba."

There was a flurry of motion as Kakashi and Asuma took the rest of the suits out of the bag and distributed them to the genin. Kiba put his on immediately, and Sakura was interested to see that his seemed a little bulkier than hers.

"What does mine do?" he asked Kakashi excitedly. "Do _I_ get secret weapon stashes, too?"

"Of a sort," he replied. "Try directing a small stream of chakra through your right arm."

Kiba did as instructed, and let out a delighted gasp as a foot-long blade appeared as if by magic, running down the length of his forearm. It resembled a shark's fin, and a second later, a twin blade appeared from the bracer covering his left arm. Kiba crossed his arms and brought the blades together with a _screech_ of metal on metal, sending a shower of sparks into the air. His grin was positively wolfish. "Oh, I think I can get used to this!"

"Those are only two of the blades concealed in the suit," Kakashi told him. "You've been training with Baki in his taijutsu style, which uses knees and elbows as weapons just as deadly as fists or feet. It shouldn't be too hard to integrate that style with the extra capabilities of your armor."

Sakura turned to Ino next, wondering what surprises her friend's armor had in store. Immediately obvious were the twin holsters, one on each hip, that were clearly meant to hold whips. But Ino had not put her leather whips into the holsters - instead, she held two new whips, which she was holding as carefully as if they were made of solid gold.

"Those were made by Elder Chiyo, too," Asuma told his student. "Each one is comprised of hundreds of individual metallic segments, which can respond to your chakra. Elder Chiyo said she was inspired by the tail of one of her grandson's puppets. If you catch an enemy with one of these whips, a surge of chakra will cause them to contract with incredible force. It will shred a human torso like tissue paper. They have also been imbued with Change in Chakra Nature through advanced fuuinjutsu. The whip in your right hand will ignite with fire chakra, while the left one generates electricity."

Ino snapped her wrists, coiling the whips effortlessly. She slid the handles into their holsters with a flourish. "Now I know why I spent so much time practicing with those stupid leather whips. Since these ones have metal joints, they can't be cut by edged weapons! They'll just wrap around the weapon, and with one pull I can disarm my opponent. It sucks that I won't be able to use my clan techniques until the invasion starts, but with these I'll at least be able to cause some damage."

Quiet as always, Shino had donned his armor without any excess celebration. But now that he wore the black body armor, only his sunglasses visible over the half-mask covering his mouth, it was obvious that he was pleased. A slight buzzing in the air around him showed that his colony was reacting to his satisfaction.

Shino's armor bristled all over with quivers of arrows, which made sense, because his secondary specialty was archery. He couldn't use his kikai bugs during the Exams without giving himself away, so he had chosen a weapons specialty that allowed him to keep his status as a mid- to long-range fighter. After years of practice with Kakashi, Shino's prowess with a bow was quite formidable.

Slung across Shino's back was a large crossbow, which was painted the same ebony color as their armor. Sakura noticed that it had slots for not one, but three arrows.

"The puppeteer craftsmen had a lot of fun with your suit," Kakashi said. "Like Sakura, your quivers act like storage scrolls, and will refill automatically when you've emptied them. Moreover, the arrows have been modified to have different effects. Left shoulder arrows are tipped with explosive tags. Fire arrows are on your right shoulder. Shrapnel arrows on your lower left, and finally…" Kakashi held up an arrow that was noticeably larger than the others, "we have these babies. With a particularly neat bit of fuuinjutsu, Elder Chiyo managed to seal arrows into other arrows, which in turn have sealed arrows inside them. Fire one of these, and you'll rain death down on a wide area, with arrows popping into existence at different times and with no warning. Make good use of these, because the supply is limited."

Shino nodded seriously, and placed the arrow back into the quiver on the right side of his lower back.

The last genin to receive his armor was Choji, and once he donned it he looked absolutely terrifying. The Akimichi was already a large boy, standing a head taller than most shinobi and built like a bear. But in his armor he was an ebony colossus, a giant, pitiless creature from nightmare. Unlike most of the other suits, Choji's did not have holsters for weapons or secret compartments. His was completely solid and seamless, as if he was encased in a sheet of living metal.

"Thanks to your increased physical capability," Asuma said to Choji, "we were able to do something special with your armor. As an Akimichi, your chakra levels increase when you convert your fat cells into chakra, and your armor is keyed in to that ability. You can make the armor stronger at will, though you will also make it heavier. By consciously channeling chakra into your armor, you can become practically indestructible, though it will come at the cost of limited mobility. On the plus side, one punch while wearing this armor will shatter stone and pound through iron, and the suit has built-in shock absorption. That means you can hit whatever you want, whenever you want, and you won't experience any backlash at all. Maybe you won't be able to sneak around very well, but you'll be a colossus on the battlefield. And if enemies underestimate you because they don't think you can move fast enough to catch them, you can simply lessen the weight of the armor and take them by surprise."

The five genin sized each other up, reveling in their new battle gear. They looked alien and dangerous, with their jet-black armor and half-masks hiding all of their faces. Only their eyes were visible. Sakura couldn't wait for the rest of their team to receive their armor, wondering what new abilities Shikamaru would receive.

Kakashi and Asuma surveyed them with pride. "Sandstorm will be the face of Suna during these Exams," the sole surviving Sarutobi said at last. "Mysterious, deadly, and utterly without mercy."

"Fight with all your courage and cunning," Kakashi said, his one eye suspiciously bright. "And know that all of Suna fights with you."

oOoOo

In an open field not far from Otogakure's Eastern Hideout, hundreds of desperate shinobi fought for their freedom. After years of living underground, fighting for scraps, and committing unspeakable horrors in the hopes of gaining Orochimaru-sama's favor, they finally had a chance to escape. All they had to do was defeat one shinobi. So they had been told, and so they believed.

When they came face-to-face with the only person standing between them and freedom, they had experienced a new surge of confidence. She was such a little girl, after all - she couldn't be more than sixteen, and there wasn't a single one of them that didn't overtop her by a head. They were Orochimaru's test subjects, bred for battle and augmented by experimental surgeries too horrible to name. What hope could one small kunoichi have?

A few of the smarter subjects wondered what this girl could possible have done to earn Orochimaru-sama's displeasure. He must have been truly angry with her, if he sent her alone to such a slaughter. But they discarded that thought as unimportant. The sun beckoned, and the open sky called their names. There would be time for questions after they had escaped.

But Hyuuga Hinata had other plans. The first shinobi to reach her were the first to fall, incapacitated by strikes to the abdomen, legs, and neck. There was a brief pause, as hundreds of shinobi reevaluated their opinion of the little girl. They could see her eyes now, blazing white and unafraid, with veins bulging obscenely from her face.

Time stretched to the breaking point. Hinata was deathly still, expressionless.

Hundreds of screams rent the air, followed by a surge of men and women who now bore only a passing resemblance to humanity.

On a rocky ledge overlooking the battlefield, Kimimaro sat patiently, his legs dangling over the edge, watching the spectacle unfolding below. For the most part his face betrayed no emotion, but when a burst of blue light erupted from below, sending shinobi flying in all directions, one corner of his mouth tugged upward.

"What are you smirking at?"

Kimimaro didn't turn around. "Back already, Kabuto? Come watch, if you're curious."

Yakushi Kabuto melted out of the stone cliff behind Kimimaro, scowling slightly as if he'd hoped to take the other shinobi by surprise. "It's the girl, isn't it? Curing your illness must have had some effects on your brain, Kimimaro. You never used to care about trash."

Kimimaro shrugged, looking contemplative. "And maybe you've been away too long. Times change, and Orochimaru-sama doesn't mean to get left behind. He scheduled this test, and tasked me to evaluate Hinata's performance."

Kabuto sat down next to Kimimaro, watching the battle curiously. His eyebrows rose as a pair of agonized screams cut briefly through the cacophony. "On a first-name basis already, are we?"

"Like I said," Kimimaro replied, "times change. When the Sannin first arrived, I believe Orochimaru-sama only agreed to teach the girl as a way of strengthening the agreement with his former teammates. But now, he is very much intrigued. As am I. She will be an interesting teammate during the Chuunin Exams."

There was a long silence, during which Kabuto stared at Kimimaro as if he had grown a second head. "Perhaps I have been away too long," he mused. "She must have developed some fascinating new tricks to gain _your _approval."

"She almost killed me," Kimimaro said, his conversational tone shocking Kabuto more than anything. Kimimaro pulled down the open collar of his shirt, baring his sternum to the open air. Kabuto kept his composure, but only just. Kimimaro's chest was a mass of ropy scar tissue, as if some giant beast had savaged him.

"It was a few months ago," Kimimaro went on, tugging his shirt back up. "We were sparring, and she said she wanted to try out a new technique. I agreed, and this was the result - if it wasn't for my kekkei genkai, I wouldn't have survived. I have thought about it a great deal, and I believe she was acting under orders. If she could kill me and claim it was a training accident, Jiraiya and Tsunade would have a significant tactical advantage over Orochimaru. I am impressed by the ruthlessness and cunning of her guardians. They, like Hinata, are formidable opponents, and they will be strong allies for Orochimaru-sama."

Kabuto spoke slowly, the gears turning in his mind. "Does Orochimaru-sama know about the attempt on your life?"

"Of course," Kimimaro nodded, a wistful smile on his face. "When he saw the effect of her technique, he said only, 'I see.' I fear that I will have to distinguish myself greatly in the coming war, if I wish to retain my status as Orochimaru-sama's preferred vessel."

Kabuto pushed his glasses up slightly, where they gleamed for a moment in the sun. "Is that so?"

"Do not concern yourself overmuch," Kimimaro said firmly, turning back to watch the fight. "I have no intention of losing my rightful place. She will have to do much more than defeat trash like this if she wants to surpass me."

Down in the field below, the battle was drawing to a close. The misshapen bodies of Orochimaru's test subjects were scattered like debris after a typhoon. Standing alone, the eye of the storm, was Hinata. She walked away from the scene of carnage, ignoring the piteous cries and agonized groans of the fallen, heading straight for the cliff face where Kabuto and Kimimaro sat.

She ran up the wall effortlessly, her loose linen tunic flapping in the wind. When she landed next to Orochimaru's lieutenants, Kabuto smirked provocatively. "I caught the tail end of your fight," he said, making his tone as sarcastic as possible. He wanted to get a rise out of the girl, so he could gauge her more effectively. "Very pretty display. But I notice you didn't kill a single one of the wretches down there. Is that because you felt sorry for them, or because you didn't have the stomach for it?" He gave her his best sneer, wondering how she would react.

The stare she gave him in return was positively unnerving, her wide, unblinking eyes as white as snow. They made him think of death, of the waxen skin of corpses, and he had to fight not to shiver.

"Neither," Hinata said flatly. "When the battle starts, the majority of our opponents will be Sealed shinobi. They are my comrades, and if I must fight them, I must make sure not to kill them."

Hinata took a step forward, and Kabuto registered an astonishing spike of killing intent. "I'd advise you to follow my example," the white-eyed Hyuuga said, her gaze riveted on his. "Because if you kill a single Sealed shinobi, by accident or design, I will rip your guts out and feed them to you. Only your master is protected by the agreement he made with my senseis. You I can kill any time I want."

Kabuto was about to laugh, but the memory of Kimimaro's ravaged chest stopped him. He knew the true potential of Kimimaro's kekkei genkai, and he also knew exactly how strong the shinobi's bones were. Yet Hinata's attack, whatever it might be, had somehow broken through the defenses of Orochimaru's preferred vessel. Kabuto decided that, for now, the smart decision was to wait, watch, and collect information.

And he always made the smart decision.

"I'd hate to give you any reason for that," Kabuto said, calling on the open and genuine smile he had perfected years ago. "We're teammates, after all."

oOoOo

The horizon was suffused with a red glow, heralding the new day. Naruto didn't put much stock in portents or omens, but he had to admit, this was a bad day for the sky to look like it was bleeding. It was the morning of the Chuunin Exams. Genin from the major shinobi villages had been arriving for a week now, and today they would begin the first stage of the Exams.

Naruto sat alone, perched on the top of Madara's Monument, watching the sun begin to peek out over the treetops to the east. He let out a deep sigh. This was Madara's big day when his father would show the world how strong the Uchiha clan had grown. But for Naruto, this was a time of shame.

Every village would see the divide that still existed in Konoha, see the Seals branded on the forehead of every man, woman, and child who didn't wield the sharingan. Naruto wanted them to see a Konoha that was united and whole, but it seemed that the village was no closer to his goal than when he had decided to pursue it so many months ago.

Madara had promised him, however. _Do well in these Exams, and I will hear you_, he had said. _Show me, show the world, the results of your training, and I will consider your request to remove the Seal from carefully selected test subjects._

Naruto could not fail this mission. His father was finally willing to give him a chance, but it rested on his ability to prove that he was worthy. Naruto balled his hands into fists. No matter what he encountered in the Exams, he would not fail. The future of the village depended on it.

"Are you nervous?" The voice broke through Naruto's reverie, startling him so much he almost lost his balance.

"What the-" Naruto spun around, wondering how anyone could move so sneakily. "Oh. It's you."

Pain's primary avatar only nodded. Naruto didn't know why the ruler of Amegakure had decided to stay in Konoha for so long, but he had - ever since the first mission to Amegakure a year and a half ago, Konoha had played host to Pain and his subordinates.

Naruto didn't know much more about the enigmatic shinobi than he ever had, although he noticed that all of the foreign shinobi seemed to spend a good deal of time in the Hokage's Tower. Naruto also knew that Pain was not what he appeared to be - the man he had first thought was Pain was merely an avatar controlled from somewhere else. Naruto had seen the other bodies that Pain controlled, and occasionally wondered what Pain's real body looked like, and whether it was here in Konoha or back in Ame.

He wondered every now and again, but everyone was entitled to one's secrets. As long as Pain played nice while in Konoha, Naruto would let him be. Another reason for keeping his distance might have been that Pain gave Naruto the creeps. His ringed purple eyes held no emotion whatsoever, and the black spikes piercing his body were beyond weird.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked finally, getting his heart rate back under control.

"Simply to talk," Pain replied. "You seem troubled of late. I wondered why, as this is meant to be your day of triumph."

"How do you know what I feel or don't feel?" Naruto demanded. The dead eyes of Pain's avatar unnerved him.

"Because I've been watching you. You are an intriguing puzzle, young one. A killer with compassion, and an Uchiha who is not an Uchiha... yes, I have watched you very carefully indeed."

Naruto felt his hackles rise. "And what have you seen?" The orange-haired avatar looked out over Konoha, taking in the sight of the village caressed by the growing light.

"You are caught between two worlds," Pain said at last. "The world that exists in your mind, and the harsh truth of the world around you. You wish to make the two worlds one - to put an end to the suffering and make everyone acknowledge what you know to be true. But sometimes this task seems beyond you. You look ahead, and the future is a wasteland, bleak and filled with darkness. And the darkness threatens to overwhelm you."

Naruto's nails cut into his palms, so tightly were his fists clenched. Pain's words, spoken so dispassionately, were piercing the depths of his soul. Where had he learned about Naruto's plan? How could he _possibly_ know what Naruto felt?

Pain seemed to hear or intuit Naruto's questions, though he hadn't said anything. "I know you better than anyone, Naruto. We are not so different, in the end. But you will be doomed to failure as long as you hold to your deluded ideal of brotherhood, of equality."

Naruto practically snarled, feeling a strong desire to call on the Kyuubi's chakra and pound this man into the dust. "Oh really? Please enlighten me."

Pain regarded him with a faint hint of disappointment, as if Naruto was a student who'd failed at his lessons. "You think of the Seal as the source of the conflict in Konoha, when it is but one of many symptoms of a much deeper illness. Tell me this: what do you imagine will happen when you succeed, Naruto? Will the villagers' hatred disappear along with the brand on their flesh? Will your village stop hating that which is different? Will you stop making war upon yourselves? Of course not."

"Removing the Seal is only the first step!" Naruto declared, almost shouting. "It will take time, but we can heal old wounds. We can forgive each other!"

"Do you really think that? But you cannot be so deluded, not in your heart of hearts. Think back to the story you have been told all your life, of the Night of Reclamation. Your history books say that Madara discovered a plot to eradicate the Uchiha clan, and struck first in order to protect them. In your eyes, the Uchiha were justified. But what about in the eyes of the so-called innocents who were slaughtered by your family? Are they not justified in revenging themselves upon Madara? And the survivors of that attack, should they not strike back?"

As Pain spoke, Naruto was overwhelmed by memories that he'd fought hard to suppress. A girl with black hair and white eyes surfaced in his mind, tearing apart everything he had ever known with nothing but words.

"There is no such thing as right or wrong," Pain continued, inexorably. "It is a never-ending cycle that pulls you down into its depths. There is only the struggle between weak and strong. History is a battle in which the winner oppresses the loser - a tale of constant suffering. There is only one way to break out of that cycle. Do you want to know what it is?"

"I suppose you'll tell me whether I do or not," Naruto growled.

"By knowing pain," the avatar said simply. "That is what I have come to learn, and why I chose this name for myself. There is no equality save equality through pain. Humans must suffer before they can overcome their selfish desires for power that are at the heart of all acts of cruelty, brutality, and war. You wish to remove the Seal and discover that the problem has disappeared, like ripping off a bandage. But you merely blind yourself to the truth."

"That's your big solution?" Naruto spat, wavering between incredulity and fury. "Knowing pain? What do you want to do, beat up everybody in the world until they decide to play nice? I love the sentiment, but it seems a little time-consuming."

Pain did not so much as twitch at Naruto's sarcasm. "You are young yet. I do not expect you to understand me until you have suffered as I have. But you will - I can see it in you, see it in your very being. There are few like us, Naruto. We have been called for a higher purpose. We are as shepherds, guiding an unruly flock to a better world."

"Shepherds, huh?" Naruto's anger was cold now, and it brought the world into sharper focus. "Good luck with that. As for me... I'm going to take my chances with the sheep."

He pushed off of the polished stone with a burst of chakra, leaving Madara's Monument behind him. But even though he didn't look back, he could feel Pain's eyes upon him long after he had passed from his sight.

oOoOo

A few minutes before noon, Naruto was standing just outside the entrance to the Examination Hall with his team. They were some of the last genin to arrive, and they paused for a moment in front of the imposing iron door.

"Before we go in there," Naruto said, looking from Akemi to Takeshi. "I just want to say thank you. I don't know where I'd be without you guys, and it just... it means a lot to me that you're still with me."

Akemi's eyes were bright, but her tone was as harsh as ever. "Quit it, you little sissy! If any foreign genin hear us, they'll think we're a bunch of pushovers!"

"Let them think what they want," Takeshi said firmly, clasping Naruto's shoulder. "I'm proud to follow you, Naruto. Let's get in there and show the rest of the world what we can do!"

Hinamaru barked in fervent agreement. Naruto couldn't believe how much the ninja hound had grown - he reached Takeshi's waist, and after hitting his growth spurt the half-blood Inuzuka stood at six feet, three inches.

They put their fists one on top of another, silently reaffirming the pledge they had first made when they were only seven years old. Then they entered the waiting room, where a wave of killing intent hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Damn," Naruto whispered, seeing the hundreds of hostile eyes that swung toward the opening door. "That's a lot of potential enemies."

Akemi pushed forward, her chin jutting out in a challenge. Naruto's enhanced hearing tracked the mutters that ran through the crowd as they surveyed the latecomers.

"That's him-"

"-the Hokage's heir-"

"-heard he's a jinchuuriki-"

Takeshi, who also possessed keen hearing, gave Naruto an encouraging punch in the shoulder. "What do you know?" he whispered. "You're famous!"

Although the crowd of genin in the enormous Examination Hall seemed shapeless, there was actually a rough organization that became clear as Naruto got his bearings. The genin were split up according to their villages, and each group made sure to keep some distance between themselves and others. The largest group was wearing Iwagakure hitai-ite, although the contingents from Kumogakure and Kirigakure were almost as large. There were smaller pockets of shinobi here and there, and a surprisingly large group wearing Otogakure headbands. Naruto knew that Oto was small compared to the major villages, but it was growing in prestige. No doubt their leaders hoped to make a good showing in these Exams in order to attract attention from the daimyos of the Elemental Nations.

There was a fairly small group from Konoha, mostly older genin whom Naruto didn't know, although one team of Sealed shinobi was very familiar. Naruto was going to lead his team over to Neji, Lee, and Tenten, when a familiar and abrasive voice caught his attention.

"Hey, Naruto!" Naruto's hackles rose as he turned to see the only other team of Uchiha Cadets entering the Exams: the all-male team of Genji, Katsu, and Masao. Almost nineteen now, Genji was even bigger and stronger than Naruto remembered. His time running border patrols at the edge of Konoha territory had left him with a lean, weather-beaten look. Katsu looked as rat-like as ever, his shifty eyes constantly in motion and scanning his surroundings. Masao had managed to collect another scar, so that both cheeks sported long, jagged lines down to his jawline.

"Good to see you three made it on time," the older Cadet laughed. His tone was light, but Naruto could see the tension around his eyes. "Look, Naruto," Genji said, becoming a little more serious, "I just wanted to apologize for what happened the last time we ran into each other. I was out of line, and I've had a lot of time to reflect on my priorities as an Uchiha and a member of the Military Police. I hope we can work together and bring pride to the clan. What do you say?"

Naruto stared at him, confused and wary. Was this really the same Genji that had been so cruel to Hinata? When he thought back to that day, when he remembered the things that Genji had said, Naruto still wanted to tear out his still-beating heart. But Genji sounded sincere, and Naruto never wanted to be guilty of ignoring someone who was trying to change. So he shook Genji's outstretched hand, but he made no effort to get rid of the chill in his voice.

"I accept your apology. I also look forward to seeing what these Exams reveal."

He could feel Akemi and Takeshi watching him curiously, but he had no desire to explain why he was acting so coolly to their fellow Cadets. "If you'll excuse us," Naruto said shortly, "we're going to go visit some friends of ours. Maybe you remember them from when we last met."

Naruto relished Genji's look of surprise as he walked over to Lee's team. The Sealed shinobi around them backed up as he approached, leaving a slight gulf separating Team Guy and Team Fugaku from the rest of the Konoha genin.

Neji sighed as Naruto approached, followed soon after by Takeshi and Akemi. "Are you sure you want to openly snub your comrades in front of every other village? Hardly the show of Uchiha solidarity that your father is hoping for."

Naruto shrugged. "Too late now, isn't it? Besides, as far as I'm concerned, Genji has a long way to go before he shows that he deserves any kind of solidarity. But let's not talk about him. Are you guys ready?!"

Lee punched the air with both fists. "Yosh! We were born ready! Every challenge that confronts us is another opportunity to test our Youthful strength!"

Tenten smiled at Naruto, who was confused by the sadness he thought he saw in her eyes. "We're as ready as can be, Naruto," she said.

"What kind of attitude is that?" Akemi snapped, looking at her fellow kunoichi. "Without confidence, how can you expect to accomplish anything?"

Naruto hid a grin, enjoying the way his prickly teammate kept focusing on Tenten. Over the past year, the rivalry between the young women had turned into a great training tool. He held out hope that if Akemi could forge a friendship with a Sealed shinobi, then perhaps it was possible for the rest of the village as well.

"Come on, ladies," Takeshi said with a wildly exaggerated placating tone. "Now is the wrong time to be fighting each other. We've got so many other fresh targets to beat up!"

"He's right," Naruto agreed, looking around. "There should be some strong opponents here. Since these are the first international Chuunin Exams in almost ten years, every village is going to send its very best. If we want Konoha to come out ahead, we'll have to do our best."

Looking around the room, Naruto tried to figure out who would be the most dangerous opponents. The first teams to catch his eye were from Suna - the desert village had sent many genin, and they were clustered around nine shinobi clad from head to toe in black body armor.

Takeshi saw where Naruto was looking, and whistled. "Flashy, huh? I wonder who they are."

"I don't know," Naruto said, "but they sure don't mind drawing attention to themselves. They must be pretty confident."

"Look at that team from Kiri," Akemi told them, pointing surreptitiously. It was clear which team she meant - in the front of the Kiri contingent were three shinobi wearing the distinctive facemasks of the Kirigakure Hunter Nin Corps. They each wore an oversized sword slung over their backs, and the other genin teams from Kiri seemed to shrink back from them with respect and perhaps even a little fear.

"I recognize those swords," said Neji, and the normally unflappable Hyuuga actually sounded surprised. "Those are powerful artifacts wielded only by Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. It's an elite group of swordsmen that only admits the strongest shinobi of the village. There's no way that they're genin level."

"Neither are you," Naruto pointed out, watching the Swordsmen with interest. "And I have a few advantages not shared by the majority of genin. It's only fair that the other villages should stack the odds, when you think about it. But they don't look any older than we are... interesting."

"I wonder if they even know how to use those swords," Akemi said, caressing the hilt of her katana lovingly. "Let's target them first."

"It seems like you're not the first one to have that idea," Takeshi said suddenly, his nose twitching. "Look."

Naruto soon understood what he meant, when a team from Otogakure advanced towards the masked Swordsmen. The leader was hunched over and wore a fur cape, while his subordinates, a boy and a girl a little older than Naruto, wore light-colored tunics tied in place with large purple ropes.

"We heard you three whispering," the leader began, his voice low and menacing. "Don't you dare look down on Otogakure for being a small village. If you do, we'll kill you!"

The swordsmen on the left, whose long, black hair framed his face on both sides and was restrained by metal hair cuffs, spoke first. "We meant no disrespect, either to you or your village. Please do not take offense."

But he was quickly silenced by the right-most shinobi. "I don't know about Haku, but I _definitely _meant some disrespect. Otogakure is a pitiful excuse for a village, and you're a weird, creepy little man. So what do you say? Want to go a few rounds, little man?"

The Otogakure team, who had been quite taken aback by the first Swordsman's civil response, now bristled with rage. The third Swordsmen held his hand up, cutting them off just as they were opening their mouths to retort. "That's enough, Suigetsu! I apologize on behalf of my friend. He's a little competitive, and he likes to run his mouth. But we can settle any and all differences in the Exams."

Something about the third genin's voice sounded familiar to Naruto, but he couldn't place it. He also didn't have any time to try and remember, because apparently the Oto genin was not appeased. The taller Oto genin, who had his face uncovered, shouted angrily. "Or we can settle it now! Dosu, Kin, let's show them not to disrespect us!"

He brought up both hands, which had circular metal constructs grafted into the palms. Naruto didn't want to sit back and watch a free-for-all erupt before the Chuunin Exams even started, so he gathered himself for a quick lunge. The three swordsmen hadn't made a move to draw their weapons yet, so Naruto hoped he could head off the issue by making an example of the hotheads.

As it turned out, he needn't have bothered. Just as Naruto burst into motion, the Oto genin froze, each discovering the tip of a kunai placed against their necks. Naruto came to a stop, stunned.

Three more Otogakure genin had appeared out of nowhere, effortlessly restraining their aggressive comrades. The tallest of them bowed to the Kiri team, keeping his hold on Dosu with one hand. "Please accept Oto's apologies for this rash and unnecessary provocation. As you say, the Exams will resolve all issues satisfactorily."

"Looking forward to it, buttercup," said the Swordsman who had originally insulted the Oto team.

Naruto's quick action had separated him from his team, leaving him halfway between the conflict and the Konoha genin. He was isolated and exposed, which he realized when the leader of the second Oto team turned to focus on him.

Naruto took a long look at his face, which was extremely pale. The Otogakure shinobi had white hair parted in a zig-zag, and two red dots on his forehead. Something about his collected demeanor spoke of power, both restrained and highly dangerous. Naruto spared a second to look at the shinobi's teammates, neither of whom seemed as imposing as the first. One wore glasses and kept his white hair in a ponytail, while the other was dressed similarly to Dosu in a fur cape. The hood was pulled low over the genin's face, making Naruto wonder how he - or she - could possibly see to fight. But then, Otogakure was infamous for its sound manipulation techniques, so maybe this genin didn't need to see.

"You were brave to intervene," said the pale Oto shinobi. "Even if your assistance was not required. I can see that the stories about you have not been exaggerated. My name is Kimimaro. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of."

"Seems you already know my name," Naruto said, as nonchalantly as he could manage. "Try to keep your dogs on a leash from now on, will you? We're trying to hold the Chuunin Exams, not a schoolyard brawl. Who says what about your village, or your looks, or even your mama, isn't important now."

Kimimaro let go of the hapless Dosu, who staggered a step before retreating to the relative safety of the crowd of Otogakure teams. "I must ask your leave to disagree," Kimimaro said quietly. "I do not blame my comrades for wanting to stand up for themselves, merely for picking the wrong time and place. No one ever thinks pride is important, until they discover what it is like to have it taken away. Perhaps your Sealed shinobi would say the same."

Though Kimimaro's tone was polite, his eyes were anything but. And though Naruto couldn't argue with his words, he felt every ounce of his being call out to meet the challenge that was being issued. The Examination Hall became as silent as the grave, everyone holding their breath as if afraid that exhaling would trigger the showdown between these two leaders.

A sharp sound like a tree splitting in a winter storm echoed through the chamber, followed by a puff of smoke. When it cleared, a dozen members of the Konoha Military Police stood at attention in the front of the room, flanking a figure that Naruto recognized immediately.

_What is _he_ doing here?!_

Sasori of the Red Sands uttered a raspy laugh, the rag covering his mouth shaking softly. "I hope I'm not interrupting something. Listen up, maggots! I'm Sasori, your Proctor for the first exam."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: **I vastly overestimated my update schedule this summer, and to everyone who's been waiting for an update, I apologize. It turns out that working full time and preparing to move halfway around the world really cuts into one's writing time. I'll be moving to Singapore in two weeks, where I'll be teaching literature for the next year or so. It's extremely exciting, but it's also not the best development in terms of my writing productivity.

There's also the good news (for me, at least) that I've finally begun working on an original novel, which is something I've been trying to start for quite some time now. Although I'm extremely excited about this, it is another time commitment that may cut into my fanfiction time in the near future.

But the show must go on, and so I bring you the next step on the road to the Chuunin Exam Smackdown. Not a large chapter, but it gives a glimpse of things to come.

Things to look forward to next time: Naruto suffers a nasty surprise, Sandstorm gets a bit more than they bargained for, and the Forest of Death lives up to its name. I promise to get to work right away, and update as soon as possible. Please read and review! Nothing convinces me to sacrifice work for writing like nice, juicy reviews, the more critical the better!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 33**

Shikamaru was not used to getting caught off guard. His mind generally operated several dozen steps in front of his opponents, and there were few contingencies he failed to consider when laying his plans. But when Sasori of the Red Sands appeared in the front of the Examination Room, shocking over a hundred keyed-up genin into wary silence, Shikamaru's heart almost stopped.

Perhaps there were some genin here who didn't recognize Sasori, and so thought he was merely a proctor, serving at the whim of the Hokage. But for those like Shikamaru, who made it a point to read the updated version of the Bingo Book every six months, the presence of an S-class missing nin at the Chuunin Exams was certainly a surprise.

And for the shinobi of Sunagakure, Sasori was more than a missing-nin – he was a traitor who had murdered some of the strongest of their comrades, then abandoned the village while bringing its secret techniques along with him. Him being here in Konoha, by all appearances under the protection of the Hokage, was nothing less than a slap in the face to Suna.

Standing before the genin, Konoha proctors flanking him on both sides, Sasori began to speak.

"Some of you may recognize my name," he began, voice rough and gravelly and full of menace. "I am called Sasori, and I am a shinobi of Amegakure. The Godaime Hokage, Uchiha Madara, requested proctors from outside his village so that there can be no question of favoritism. We all want these Exams to be as fair as possible… that way, when you die, your superiors can't whine that the odds were stacked against you. Understand?"

Some genin nodded, either too confident or too stupid to be intimidated, but most simply stared, spellbound. As Sasori spoke, Shikamaru's mind continued to catch up, and with each second he became more worried. Sasori might claim that his presence was necessary for a fair Exam, but that couldn't possibly be all there was to it.

Sasori was the most wanted criminal in Suna – the price on his head, if it was ever collected, would be the largest sum ever paid by a Kazekage in the village's history. Unveiling him here, in front of an entire contingent of Suna shinobi, was essentially declaring that Sasori was Madara's ally, or at least under his protection.

Harboring a war criminal was not something that Suna could overlook. In the past, assassination squads had been sent across village borders to address something like this. Madara was daring Suna to react, and Shikamaru didn't know if there _was _a correct reaction.

A cold dread stole Shikamaru's breath away as he contemplated a new possibility. _Does Madara know about us?_ The shinobi of Sandstorm, with the exception of the Kazekage's children, were all technically criminals wanted in Konoha. The Kazekage's decision to take them in was at least as damning, objectively, as Madara's acceptance of Sasori.

Could Madara possibly know that the orphans he had lost so many years ago were now fighting for Suna? If he did, then his decision to flaunt Sasori made perfect tactical sense. The moment a high-ranking Suna shinobi made a formal complaint about Sasori proctoring the first exam, Madara could retaliate by claiming that the Kazekage had done the same thing – and worse, he would be right. Every other shinobi village would have to side with Madara, since as far as they were concerned he had only reacted to an outside threat, _and_ he had outmaneuvered Suna into the bargain.

_But if he knows about us… _Shikamaru thought, imagining the worst possible scenario, _what else does he know? Could he… know about the invasion?_

Shikamaru's blood ran cold at the mere thought. It was inevitable that some secrets got out – spies were a part of shinobi life, after all. But Suna's efforts to bring down Madara, encompassing years of planning and the combined resources of two villages, required the element of surprise for maximum effect. If Madara knew that the attack was coming, especially if he knew that it involved a mass rebellion carried out by Sealed shinobi, his tactical responses opened up exponentially. And if Madara had begun attracting allies of Sasori's caliber, what had initially seemed like good odds for Suna and Oto suddenly became much more even.

But there was nothing that Shikamaru could do about that now – whatever Madara did or did not know, Suna's invasion was going to happen. The wheels were in motion, and the Kazekage would follow through, no matter what happened to the Sealed shinobi caught in the middle.

"Everyone follow me," Sasori said, walking for the exit. The mass of genin parted swiftly and silently, and Shikamaru took note of which genin dared to look at Sasori directly. Even if Sasori were the main threat at the moment, those genin who showed particular self-confidence would still be enemies to watch out for during the Exam. "The site of the first exam is nearby."

Ino fell in next to Shikamaru as they walked, her faceplate masking her expression. The members of Sandstorm were the de facto leaders of Suna's genin delegation, and the other genin teams were watching them carefully, ready to take their cue from Gaara. If he accepted Sasori's presence, then so would they, no matter what they felt. That was one of the things that Shikamaru liked most about his comrades in Suna. They believed in discipline.

**What do you make of this? **Ino spoke directly to Shikamaru's mind. **If Sasori is just here as a neutral proctor, I'll eat this armor.**

**You're right, **Shikamaru replied. **This is a political move, and it's big. I don't know how big, but for now we have to play along. There's no way to consult with our superiors until after the first exam. Check with Gaara to see if he has any other orders, and then stick with your team. Whatever trouble is brewing, it won't matter if we get killed in the preliminaries.**

**Understood.**

Sandstorm walked on, seven other genin teams from Suna swirling around them, and followed Sasori and the proctors as they made their way down several flights of stairs. Eventually they reached the ground floor, and Sasori led the mass of shinobi to the rear of the building.

"Here we are," Sasori announced, coming to a stop beside a section of the wooden floor that was darker than the rest. He made a swift hand seal, and barked, "_Release!_"

The darker section slid aside, revealing a wide staircase that led into an underground chamber. Once inside, Shikamaru took his bearings and realized that the chamber was much larger even than the waiting room where Sasori had first appeared. There were enough torches mounted on wall brackets that every corner of the place was visible. The chamber was a perfect square, and located in the middle of each wall was a door.

Sasori turned once again to face the genin, proctors arrayed behind him in a neat line. "This is one of many underground chambers which, years ago, sheltered ANBU's Root division, led by Shimura Danzō. They have been abandoned since the Night of Reclamation, when the Hokage rooted out Danzō's organization… if you'll pardon the pun. For eighteen months I have lived down here, turning the network of underground tunnels into my greatest work of art. For the First Exam, you will enter my maze with your team. The objective… come out alive."

Alarmed whispers rose from the crowd of genin, many of whom were old enough to have attended Chuunin Exams in the past. None remembered an Exam where the first test required putting one's life on the line. The rag covering Sasori's mouth made it hard to be sure, but Shikamaru fancied that the Proctor was grinning with fiendish satisfaction.

"If anyone has doubts about their ability, they should withdraw now. There will be other Exams, ones with less committed Proctors. Once inside my masterpiece, you will either survive and advance to the next round, or you will die. So how about it? Who wants to avoid an agonizing, painful death?"

A team of Iwa shinobi was the first to back away, followed by more of their number and a few teams from Kumo. No one from Oto, Konoha, Suna, or Kiri left at first, although many couldn't hide the apprehension on their faces. Shikamaru signaled Ino, and asked her to relay his thoughts to Gaara. Gaara agreed with his plan, and a second later, Ino relayed Gaara's orders silently to one of the younger Suna teams. They betrayed their shock by staring directly at Gaara, their faces pleading, but Gaara only shook his head, his armored stance unyielding. The selected team accepted their task, and obediently left the main group to join the genin who were giving up.

Shinobi of Suna would rather die than show cowardice, but Shikamaru and Gaara knew that the most important task right now was to get word of Sasori's appearance to the commanders of Suna's army.

Shikamaru didn't feel too bad for the messengers. They might not get to participate in the Exams, but they would see more than their share of action once the invasion began.

A minute later, the trickle of retreating teams dwindled and stopped. Most of the original mass remained, close to a hundred genin from every major village.

"It seems we're ready, then," Sasori declared, holding his hands wide. "Form up in a line by teams, no two teams from the same village in a row. Then proceed forward, where your team leader will receive a map from one of the proctors. Each map shows a select portion of the maze. Those of you entering near the front of the line will have less of your map filled in, and the later teams will have more complete maps. It's up to all of you to compensate for your disadvantages, whether it's less time or a lack of usable intel. Understood?"

Shikamaru had to admire the setup. Judging by the three doors into the maze, there were probably dozens of different routes to the exit. And with teams entering at different time intervals, there was the possibility that earlier teams could set traps, or even wait in ambush for later teams. And there was no telling what traps the master puppeteer had prepared himself, to trip up unsuspecting genin. This maze was going to be a bloodbath, of that Shikamaru was sure. But then, would he have expected anything else from Sasori of the Red Sands?

"There is one piece of good news," Sasori said, once all of the teams that had decided not to compete had retreated up the stairs. "Contrary to what I said earlier, failure to exit the maze doesn't necessarily mean death. I only said that to weed out the unworthy. There is a time limit, and anyone still alive inside the maze at the end of it will be escorted out, although they will not advance to the next round. Part of being a Chuunin is the willingness to dedicate your life to the mission. If you can't accept the possibility of your own death, then you have no place leading others. So now that I know all of you have the will, let's see if you have the skills to make it as a Chuunin. Form up, and let the first round of the Chuunin Exams begin!"

oOoOo

Hinata didn't know who Sasori of the Red Sands was, and she couldn't have cared less. She was still shaking from seeing Naruto for the first time since she'd escaped from Konoha. Despite the cloak that protected her from view, Hinata felt utterly defenseless when Naruto's eyes focused on her. The black pupils, dark and focused, could not have been more different from the bright blue orbs that had once belonged to Naruto. Hinata barely kept from shivering, now that her nightmares had become all too real. Naruto was an Uchiha, bound to a clan of murderers body and soul.

It was a good thing that Kimimaro took the lead while dealing with Naruto and the battle-hungry Swordsmen from Kiri, because at that moment Hinata was not in control of herself. At first she wanted to break down and cry, mourning the loss of one who had been a better friend than she could have hoped for. Next came the rage, and Hinata had come within a hair of lashing out then and there, blowing her cover in exchange for taking down as many Uchiha as she could, right there in the audience chamber.

But that would not help the hundreds of shinobi who were still enslaved. The Sealed shinobi didn't care whether Naruto's eyes were blue, black, or rainbow-colored, and Hinata couldn't, either. She was an avenger, a spy, a savior even – and none of those roles permitted her to dwell selfishly in her own pain.

With difficulty, Hinata pushed away thoughts of Naruto and paid attention to the proctors. She fell in behind Kimimaro and Kabuto as they followed the throng into Sasori's underground chamber, and mentally prepared herself for the coming challenge.

"I didn't know Sasori would be here," Kabuto murmured to Kimimaro, while Sasori was explaining the first task. "I hope I get a chance to say hello. It's been quite a while."

"Be silent," Kimimaro said curtly. "This is not the time to settle old scores."

_On the contrary, _Hinata thought, _that's the only reason I'm here._

Hinata's team was one of the first in line, and the map they received from an Uchiha proctor was almost completely blank. That was fine by Hinata, of course – walls weren't much use against her byakugan.

Sasori directed them to the door on the right, pausing for a second to give Kimimaro and Kabuto an appraising glance. Kimimaro walked right by, as if Sasori were beneath his notice, while Kabuto smirked once and looked away.

"I look forward to seeing what you maggots can do," Sasori called after them.

Hinata clenched her fists tightly against her sides. _You will, you creepy bastard. Side with the Uchiha, and you'll see exactly what I'm capable of._

Then the two powerful Oto shinobi and their Konoha ally walked through the door, which shut automatically and left them stranded in total darkness.

"Spooky," came Kabuto's amused voice. "Do you suppose Sasori thinks genin are afraid of the dark?"

"Sometimes there's reason to be," Hinata replied, activating her byakugan to get a clear picture of their surroundings. "But don't worry, sempai. I'll make sure the bogeyman doesn't get you."

"How very reassuring."

Kimimaro appeared beside Hinata, moving with the speed and assurance of an elite shinobi who didn't need to rely on his sight. "Find an exit yet?" he asked.

"There are two," Hinata replied. "One to our left, and one directly in front."

"Any traps?"

Hinata focused her byakugan to look through the walls, and nodded with satisfaction. "Shuriken are stored behind panels in the walls. There's a motion trigger that will probably spring them. The floor and the ceiling are clear."

"Fairly straightforward," Kabuto mused. "Genin trip the wire, trigger the shuriken, and then they either dodge or die. Anyone slow enough to get caught really wouldn't deserve to make chuunin."

"You said the ceiling's safe?" Kimimaro asked. "Then let's trigger the wire, jump, and anchor ourselves to the ceiling while the shuriken pass underneath. For now we're masquerading as genin, and there's no need to reveal any of our abilities until it becomes necessary. Just because we can't sense any hidden cameras or spies doesn't mean they aren't there."

They advanced slowly, waiting for the hale of shuriken that would follow after tripping the motion sensor. When they passed the sensor, they discovered that Sasori had one more trick up his sleeve for the first step. Hidden lights turned on, flooding the room with blinding light. At the same time, the panels in the walls slid aside with a snap.

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her eyes, Hinata jumped upward and twisted in midair, using chakra to anchor herself after making contact with the ceiling. The room filled with the sound of shuriken shooting below, _swishing_ through the air until they hit the opposite wall with a deafening series of _cracks_.

A dozen steps took them the length of the room, and they dropped unharmed in front of the exit straight ahead. It swung open automatically when Kimimaro's feet first hit the floor.

"Let's hope this gets a little more difficult," Kabuto said after a huge yawn. "This is a little insulting."

"The purpose of this exam is to separate genin from chuunin," Kimimaro snapped. "Especially now, during the first exam, the difficulty won't be very high. Most of the challenge will probably come from running into other teams. Tanaka," he said, using the name Hinata had agreed to answer to while they were still undercover, "what's the quickest route to the exit?"

Hinata let her byakugan range, ignoring the details of the newest chamber and traveling on until she found a door that opened into a room filled with proctors. "We should continue traveling straight for a while," she reported. "There are still many rooms left before we can exit the maze."

They pressed on, and as they went Hinata became more and more impressed with Sasori's twisted imagination. Each room tested their mastery of basic shinobi skills with increasingly deadly traps. There were pits of acid, poisoned senbon, interlacing jets of fire and scalding water, and even a room that shrank steadily until Kimimaro pushed a hidden panel.

Hinata kept them moving forward, always getting closer to the exit, while avoiding the teams that her byakugan told her were behind them and off to the sides. Thanks to their placement near the front of the line, Hinata's squad didn't run into anyone else – a fact for which Hinata was grateful. Kabuto and Kimimaro were already annoyed enough at putting up with Sasori's traps that they might welcome a little bloodshed. Hinata knew they would have to kill innocents soon enough… she had no wish to start now.

There was one encounter that they couldn't avoid – in a chamber that pumped a toxic gas through small, circular openings, Hinata saw a threat approaching from the rear. It was Naruto, although because he was approaching alone, Hinata surmised he must be a clone. There was also the fact that Hinata could see dozens of other Narutos spreading throughout the maze. He must have been drawing on his signature technique and absurd chakra reserves to gather intelligence on the entire layout of the maze. Not only that, but Hinata could see a large number of fights breaking out as the scouting Naruto clones ran into other teams. In one swoop, Naruto was slowing down the competition, gathering intelligence on the maze, _and_ taking note of which teams to watch out for in the coming rounds. Hinata had to admire his thinking, as well as the advanced mastery of the Shadow Clone technique that made such scouting possible.

Kabuto and Kimimaro continued plugging the gas vents with expertly thrown senbon, holding their breath to keep from inhaling any of the knockout gas. Sasori had probably designed the vents with just this in mind, since the openings were just small enough that a well-thrown senbon could plug it tightly. The test was one of perception, to locate where the gas was coming from; and then accuracy, to hit a series of tiny targets with multiple senbon before the gas could do its work.

Hinata had no doubt that her teammates could handle the task, but there was no telling what chaos a clone of Naruto might cause if it came upon them while their concentration was elsewhere. Hinata moved to a spot beside the door, where she could strike quickly once the clone entered. It must have sensed her hiding, because the door burst open quickly and the clone sped forward, powered by chakra that carried a reddish tinge. Hinata gritted her teeth, aware that a clone with the Kyuubi's chakra was not a foe to underestimate.

Hinata charged the clone, ignoring its feral snarl. She ran through the seals of a technique that Orochimaru had taught her, throwing both hands forward as fast as she could. "_Shadow Snake Hands!_" The jutsu constructed two snake-like constructs, not nearly as intelligent as true summons, but fast as lighting. They whipped toward the clone, who ducked under one and sliced through the other with a kunai.

Hinata wondered how Naruto managed to outfit his clones with clothes and ninja tools. Were they as sharp as real steel? They certainly seemed to be, considering how quickly the clone's weapon cut through the snake.

But the initial attack was just a distraction, meant to occupy the clone while Hinata closed the distance between them. "_Burning Vortex._" The clone disappeared into the heart of the fiery explosion, unable to dodge since its back was to the wall. Hinata cut the jutsu off short, feeling oddly calm and detached. She was glad that her fire jutsu was fast enough to catch Naruto's clone – after working with Jiraiya, she knew that her preferred Chakra Nature was fire, but she was still working to bring her fire techniques up to a speed that would be useful on the battlefield.

When she turned back to her team, Kimimaro and Kabuto were staring at her. "You could have told us we were about to have a visitor," Kimimaro said, his lack of expression making Hinata wary.

"Just a clone," she answered dismissively. "You were busy with the vents. Let's just move on, shall we? Only two more rooms to go."

"Very well," said Kimimaro. "I'll be glad to end this farce. As inventive as this 'art' no doubt is, Sasori's little games are wearing my patience thin."

Hinata walked ahead of them, since her byakugan made her the right person to take point. As she did so, she thought she could feel Kabuto's sharp eyes watching her.

oOoOo

The rush of heat that Naruto's clone experienced before popping out of existence came as quite a shock to Naruto. He was more practiced with his clones after so long, but there was really no getting used to the sudden rush of a memory featuring an excruciatingly painful death.

"That's _another_ room we should avoid," he confided to Akemi and Takeshi. The three of them were making their way cautiously through the maze, dealing with Sasori's wicked inventions one by one. A squadron of Naruto's clones raced ahead of them, checking out every door and marking which traps were the most deadly, and which teams were getting too close. Already Naruto had a decent idea of which teams to watch out for, and in his mind his clone-assisted memories formed two separate paths to the exit.

"What happened?" Takeshi asked. "Who were they?"

"It was that Oto guy, the one with the dot on his forehead. His teammate with the hood pulled low has some serious speed, and a fire jutsu that would make an Uchiha proud. If we can avoid them, we should."

Akemi made a rude noise, hefting her katana a little higher. "I'm beginning to feel like a thief, with all this skulking around. Have you forgotten what this Exam is about? We're supposed to show the world the strength of the Uchiha, not hide behind your clones like little bi-"

Hinamaru barked loudly, expressing his disapproval. Akemi blinked, then looked down at the hound. "Sorry, boy. I'm just itching for some action, is all."

Naruto sighed. Akemi might have agreed to follow his lead, but he should have known better than to expect her to change all that much. In fact, he would have been more disturbed if she had.

"You'll get it, I promise you. My clones have identified some seriously bad-ass teams. Remember those Kiri swordsmen? Three of my clones, juiced to the gills with Kyuubi chakra, ran into them on the other side of the maze. My guys didn't last a second, and I had to relive the wonderful memory of having a sword shoved up my-"

"We get it, Naruto," said Takeshi hurriedly, holding out his hands. "We won't go flying off the handle. Right, Akemi?" He stared pointedly at their friend, and to Naruto's amazement, she looked away first.

"Good. If that's settled, we should keep going. My clones have already disabled the traps along a path that leads out of the maze. If we hurry, we can get out of here in minutes."

As they went, Naruto was surprised to see a flashback of the hooded Oto nin who had destroyed his clone. Those techniques he hadn't seen before, but the way the shinobi had moved was oddly familiar…

Naruto scratched his head, then dismissed the sense of déjà vu as irrelevant. He had an Exam to pass, and a Village to change. Everything else could wait.

oOoOo

Gaara's team entered the maze last of all, so they didn't need to worry about anyone approaching them from behind. They were able to proceed with relative security, since Gaara sent his sand ahead to check each room, searching for danger with his surveillance technique, the Third Eye.

Their path was fortunately clear in the beginning, but it was somewhat disconcerting the way sound traveled in the maze. Anguished screams reached their ears faintly, the only signs that other teams were not finding Sasori's art as intriguing as Kankuro.

With each new trap, the puppet-using son of the Kazekage became more excited. "Do you see how he rigged that?" he asked, after coming across a motion sensor that, when tripped, sent jets of acid shooting at Temari from three directions. If Gaara's sand hadn't formed a cocoon around her, she would have discovered firsthand how well her new armor held up against Sasori's chemicals. "Absolutely brilliant!" Kankuro gushed. "What I'd give to learn from him! Every room is like a part of a puppet, perfectly divided into component parts."

Temari scowled at him. She hadn't been in any danger thanks to Gaara, but still, Kankuro might have dampened his enthusiasm just a bit. "Are you done drooling?" she snarled. "Stop idolizing the bastard and start dismantling these things _before _they kill us!"

Kankuro sniffed at her. "You're just cranky because you were never any good at puppetry."

"How about I break every bone in your body, puppet-boy?" she fumed.

Gaara did his best to keep them moving, and refrained from knocking their heads together. Truthfully, he was glad they were in good enough spirits to bicker with each other. While Sasori's involvement with Madara was extremely foreboding, the only thing they could do now was get through the maze. And Kankuro had a point – Sasori had really done something amazing when constructing this. Less than two years ago, this had been a series of underground caves. Now it was essentially a living puppet, compartmentalized to provide an incredibly thorough test of essential shinobi skills. It wasn't meant to kill shinobi of Gaara's caliber, of course – it was a learning tool, and it did its job well. Gaara wondered, if Sasori had stayed in the village, whether he might have constructed something like this to teach the young warriors of Suna about the shinobi arts.

Just then, another scream drifted through the air vents and made Gaara wince. All right, so maybe a learning tool for Suna genin shouldn't have _quite _so deadly consequences for failure.

It wasn't until Gaara and his siblings were nearing the end of the maze that they encountered another team. The room they entered was a whirlwind of motion, as three masked shinobi fought a small, but heated battle against airborne puppets shaped like fearsome dragons. They were being controlled by chakra strings running from the walls, and Gaara would have wagered that the puppets were somehow connected to the Chuunin proctors he'd seen earlier. If Sasori were directing those puppets himself, they would have fought with a bit more speed and savagery. As it was, the bursts of fire and ice from the mouths of the dragon puppets created a formidable threat, especially in the enclosed space of the chamber.

However, the genin team appeared more than up to the challenge. It was the Kiri squad, the Swordsmen who had made such a ruckus before in the Audience Chamber. To Gaara's experienced eye, it seemed as though this team had not merely been boasting about their abilities. They moved with speed and grace that was easily jonin-level, wielding their swords for both offense and defense. The puppets were strong, turning aside blows that could have cut through tree trunks, but the Kiri swordsmen were not to be deterred.

The swordsman with long, black hair bound by metal clasps switched to a one-handed grip on his sword. He made a series of one-handed seals with his free hand, so quickly that Gaara had trouble following with his eyes, then summoned a living wall of ice that momentarily transfixed two of the dragons. His partner let out a triumphant war cry and pounced, lifting his sword high overhead. The sword blade glowed brightly, the color of raw, unchained chakra, and shifted form to become a translucent war hammer as big as a man. The swordsman attacked with a powerful overhead swing, shattering the summoned ice as well as the dragon puppets.

Meanwhile, the remaining dragon had swung around to avoid the ice, and was now bearing down on the third swordsman, the one with short, coal-black hair. He raised twin swords, one in each hand, and met the dragon head-on. The blades crackled with lighting, and the next second the dragon puppet jerked to a stop, one of the swordsman's blades piercing its mouth and extending a full foot out of its neck.

When the sword was drawn out, the puppet collapsed, lightning crackling and spitting in the air around it. The shinobi with the shape-shifting sword cackled delightedly, slapping his partner on the back.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" he exclaimed. "No more of this amateur-hour bullshit! Those puppets were the real deal!"

The swordsmen next to him turned slightly, and though his face was covered, his voice sounded highly amused. "I believe the purpose of this particular chamber was to practice assessing an enemy's weak spot. If we had severed the chakra strings controlling those puppets, they would have been rendered powerless. Instead, you charged them head-on, when they had enough armor and firepower to take out a team of chuunin. Hardly a wise decision, even if we were up to the challenge."

"Damn it, Haku, why do you always have to step on my moment?! I'll smash you like that dragon!"

The third swordsman, who had remained silent, turned to face Gaara and his siblings. "I believe we have company, boys. Suigetsu, you'll have to wait a while before giving Haku what he deserves."

The swordsman called Suigetsu lowered himself into a fighting stance, while his sword became a wickedly curved scythe, like those carried by the Shinigami in legends. "Oh, I don't mind waiting. Especially if I get to play with these three."

Gaara brought some more sand out of his gourd, shaping it into two long whips that hung in the air over Temari and Kankuro. Temari tightened her hold on her fan, while Kankuro cracked his fingers menacingly, the attacked chakra strings making his puppet Crow ripple alarmingly on his back. "We won't start anything if you won't," Gaara said quietly. "The purpose of this Exam is just to get out alive. There's no reason for us to fight each other."

Suigetsu scoffed loudly. "No reason not to, either. Especially when taking you out now means we don't have to fight you later."

Haku stood up suddenly, relaxing his stance. "You're from Sandstorm, in Sunagakure," he said, with the air of someone making an unexpected connection. "I believe we've met before. Isn't that right, Taichou?" he said, turning to the third swordsman, who was apparently the leader.

"Yes…" said the leader. "You were in Kiri during the Rebellion, correct?"

Gaara almost smiled as he realized that two of these genin, at least, had been involved in the previous Rebellion. That ill-fated mission into Water Country might have won them some good luck, after all. "Depends who's asking," he answered cautiously.

"I wasn't asking," said the leader of the Kiri squad. "My squad will stand down for now, out of respect for the aid you rendered our village. If we meet again, however, I will not stay my teammate's hand."

"Fair enough," Gaara said, ducking his head quickly. "You go first, and my team will take the other door."

Suigetsu made time for one last parting shot as they departed. "Be seeing you soon, desert rats, and your fancy armor won't save you then!"

Temari bristled, unwilling as ever to back down from a fight. "You'd better run, pretty boy! Once I gut you like a fish, I'm going to mount that sword on my mantel!"

Suigetsu would have turned around, but his teammate, the one the leader called Haku, put a hand on his wrist and kept him moving forward. Next to Temari, Kankuro shook his head with a long-suffering sigh. "You know," he said after a moment, "you and that Suigetsu fellow are like the same person. Hyper-aggressive, competitive, and too stupid to know when-"

The rest of his sentence got cut off when Temari used her fan to send him crashing into the far wall.

As for Gaara, he concentrated on counting seconds, not wanting to continue on to the next room until the Kiri team had a bit of a head start. The way Haku had controlled that ice was impressive – it was just as automatic as Gaara's sand, and he had no way of knowing which technique was stronger. Then there were the swords, famous weapons with legendary pasts and considerable power. And of course there was the leader, who managed to emanate cold menace even with his face covered. Gaara wished that he had seen more of the rebel leaders, because right now he had no guesses as to whom he might be dealing with.

There was another question, too – why would some of the veterans of the Rebellion, elite shinobi trusted with Kiri's most precious artifacts, be here at the Chuunin Exams? They were young enough not to raise any eyebrows, to be sure, and no village wanted to get shown up by the infamous Uchiha Cadets. Could it be that simple?

Gaara grimaced. Even worse than Sasori's maze was the maze of village politics entangling these Exams. He had a feeling that, however much he wished otherwise, nothing was going to be simple from now on.

oOoOo

Seventeen teams made it out of the maze, making fifty-one genin that would advance to the next round. Ten teams were stuck in the maze when the time ran out, and were led to safety by Exam proctors. That left over a score of genin who had succumbed to Sasori's deadly traps.

The surviving genin watched their fallen comrades being taken away, wheeled out of the maze on stretchers with long, blue sheets covering their bodies.

"Take a long look," Sasori growled, once the victors were arranged before him, organized by village. "They were brave, but bravery isn't enough to cut it as a Chuunin. In the next round, more of you are going to end up like them. Are you prepared?"

It was clearly a rhetorical question, although the grim determination on every face was answer enough. A new voice came from behind the genin.

"I believe that's my cue."

Everyone turned, most wondering how a shinobi could have taken them by surprise in such an enclosed space. This shinobi, like Sasori, wore a hitai-ite that marked him as a shinobi of Amegakure. His fingernails were painted a deep violet, and his golden hair was combed to the side in a long wave that covered much of one side of his face. He looked faintly effeminate, but when he smiled he sent a chill through all of the genin paying attention.

"My name is Deidara, and I will be the proctor for the second exam. You've witnessed my colleague's affinity for cold, lifeless art. Now you will see true art, a living tapestry of unparalleled beauty and unlimited potential! Take the night to prepare yourselves, and gather tomorrow morning at the entrance to Training Ground 44. The locals have another name for it, of course… they call it the Forest of Death."

Deidara laughed brightly, a tinkling sound tinged with restrained savagery. "If you're not sure why they call it that, just wait. You'll know soon enough."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: **A brilliant reviewer came up with the idea of posting a character sheet with the contestants' relative skill levels. Since there are so many named characters all about to compete with each other, I thought it might be helpful. So I've come up with a character sheet that tries to summarize the strengths of the main competitors that we've seen so far. There are a few hints, but no spoilers, and we will see other shinobi during the Exams who aren't mentioned on this list.

I hope you enjoy this list, but don't imagine that the characters have to conform to everything that I say about them here. Classifying shinobi is a difficult task and inevitably gets some things wrong. Different shinobi excel in different situations, each one is unique, and everyone is capable of discovering new abilities when their lives are on the line (*cough* Mangekyou sharingan *cough*). What I have provided here is simply a rough guide, with a few reminders about what some contestants are capable of, and where they might be headed.

Which teams will rise, and which teams will fall? Think of this chapter as my version of Kabuto's little playing cards in canon – or, if you're more of a sports fan, as your guide to March Madness Naruto style.

In your review, make sure to share your preferred (or expected) lineup for the Final Eight in the third-round tournament. Read carefully, weigh the facts, and place your bets!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 34**

**Team Naruto: **A trio of hardened Uchiha Cadets, all of whom wield the Sharingan eye. They have been together for many years, and fight well as a team.

**Akemi: **When one imagines the classic Uchiha, Akemi comes to mind. She is fearless in battle – though some might say foolhardy – and combines the abilities of her sharingan with the powerful taijutsu and ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan. Her chakra nature is Fire, and she possesses a wide range of Fire Style jutsu that work well in combination with her teammates' Earth and Wind style attacks. With three tomoe in her sharingan, she can mimic enemy jutsu and cast high-level genjutsu. Her chakra control is exceptional, so her genjutsu is correspondingly intricate for a shinobi of her age and experience.

Akemi's preferred weapon is a katana, which she wields two-handed. Thanks to her mastery of the sharingan, her kinjutsu is jounin level. Her chakra reserves and stamina are high chuunin to low special jounin, but her sharingan allows her to keep up with opponents who are stronger or faster.

**Takeshi: **Half Uchiha, half Inuzuka, Takeshi exhibits the best of both clans. After unlocking the sharingan eye and proving that mixing a bloodline does not dilute its strength, Takeshi astounded the Uchiha elders by becoming a skilled wielder of sharingan techniques. With three tomoe unlocked, he can call upon the same genjutsu as Akemi, and mimic foreign jutsu. He does not have the same finely honed control as Akemi, but what he lacks in grace he makes up for in raw speed, power, and savagery.

Takeshi's Change in Chakra Nature is Earth, and he uses Earth Release techniques similar to those of the shinobi of Iwagakure. As an Inuzuka, Takeshi's style incorporates his friend and ally, the ninja hound Hinamaru. Takeshi's knowledge of Inuzuka techniques rivals his grasp of the sharingan, so that he can use such destructive techniques as Beast Clone and Gatsuuga. While he is already Special Jounin level in genjutsu and taijutsu, many believe that we have yet to see Takeshi's full potential. He has the potential, some say, to perfect the mixture of Inuzuka and Uchiha techniques and create a unique style that exceeds both.

Takeshi never fights without Hinamaru by his side, and his taijutsu weapon of choice is a pair of gauntlets that contain metal claws. By controlling his chakra, Takeshi can extend and retract the blades at will. They are handy taijutsu tools, allowing him to trap an enemy's bladed weapon with one hand while inflicting terrible slashing wounds with the other.

**Naruto: **The unquestioned leader of his team, Naruto directs his teammates with a cool head under pressure. After his eye transplant two years ago, Naruto wields all of the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Thanks to the healing power of the Kyuubi that also resides within Naruto, he can turn the sharingan on and off, avoiding the drawbacks of the transplanted sharingan that beset Kakashi.

Even without his sharingan, Naruto is a formidable ninja. His chakra reserves are unbelievable, and he can create hundreds of Shadow Clones without a pause. Much of his taijutsu style relies on the versatility and tactical superiority provided by his clones. He can attack from multiple directions and keep his true location a secret. What's more, Naruto can infuse his clones with chakra from the Kyuubi, making them more resilient, faster, and exponentially more deadly.

Now that Naruto wields the Mangekyou Sharingan, his offensive capabilities have increased a hundredfold. Thanks to the sharingan's ability to control his Tailed Beast, Naruto can draw on much more of the Kyuubi's chakra without losing control of his mind. It is unknown exactly how much power Naruto can draw on safely, but two years ago he was able to manifest six tails, and his control can only have grown since then. Without drawing on the Kyuubi, Naruto has chakra reserves many times higher than Kakashi, along with high chuunin speed and taijutsu. However, once he activates his MS and/or begins drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra, he quickly skyrockets to jounin level and beyond.

Naruto is effectively an S-rank shinobi, as he proved by defeating the S-rank missing nin Hidan in a battle to the death. During that battle, Naruto showed that he is capable of fusing the Kyuubi's chakra with other techniques to create his own versions of powerful jutsu. First is the Demon Claw jutsu, which coats Naruto's hand with a combination of Wind chakra and Kyuubi chakra for an even finer edge. Then there is Naruto's version of Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu that Naruto can use to burn out a shinobi's ability to use chakra. This is a horrifying ability for any shinobi to contemplate, and it begins to reveal just how formidable Naruto has become.

**Team Hinata: **Unquestionably Otogakure's strongest team in the Exams, although their identities are a mystery to most onlookers. Although they maintain calm exteriors, an acute observer would notice the tension that seems to exist between the team's members. One has to wonder whether that will affect their teamwork, or if their high levels of skill will carry them through.

**Kabuto: **Once Orochimaru's spy, and now his right-hand man. Deception is food and drink to Kabuto, who watches the world carefully through his signature spectacles. Although Kabuto is careful never to show the full extent of his abilities, eyewitness reports allow us to draw a frightening, if incomplete picture.

First, he is a medical shinobi of great skill. He can suffer death blows without pause, recovering almost instantly from wounds that ought to have killed him. The chakra control from his medical training serves him well in combat, as we see from his signature technique, the chakra scalpel. Like wind chakra, this technique can cut instantly through almost any surface, and it is especially deadly when it comes in contact with human flesh.

As Orochimaru's aide, Kabuto has learned an extremely wide array of techniques, though witnesses report that an inordinate amount of his ninjutsu involves snakes in one form or another. The reports we have received paint a picture of a special jounin with a medical specialty, but all too likely Kabuto is more powerful than anyone has yet seen.

**Kimimaro: **Kimimaro is Orochimaru's chosen vessel, valued by the Snake Sannin even above his aid, Kabuto. Once suffering from a supposedly incurable disease, Kimimaro has now reached his full potential thanks to Tsunade's ultimate medical jutsu. Kimimaro views his own life as an offering to lay at Orochimaru's feet, and he has little patience for "trash," or anyone who shows weakness.

Kimimaro's greatest strength is his kekkei genkai, which allows him to manipulate and regrow his bones. His skeletal makeup shifts according to his will, and he wields his bones both offensively and defensively. These natural weapons are harder than steel, meaning that Kimimaro carries an ultimate defense underneath his skin at all times.

Kimimaro's taijutsu is easily jounin-level, relying on taijutsu forms called dances that utilize blades made from his bones. He is fast and powerful, and the fact that he can attack at any time, with any part of his body makes him a taijutsu user's worst nightmare. As if that weren't enough, Kimimaro bears Orochimaru's Heaven Seal, which allows him to access two further levels of power. There are no survivors who can attest to the power of Kimimaro in his Second Curse Seal form, but that in itself should serve as an eloquent warning. Fighting at full strength with the added power of the Curse Seal, Kimimaro is an S-class shinobi who dominates with taijutsu and a defense that is all but impenetrable.

**Hinata: **Once a servant whose only knowledge of the shinobi arts came from stolen hours of practice outside the village walls, now Hinata comes to Konoha as the protégé of the famous Sannin. While the extent of her training is unknown, Hinata has already demonstrated enough speed to defeat one of Naruto's Kyuubi-enhanced Shadow Clones. Her Hyuuga heritage ensures that she can wield all of the might of the Gentle Fist style, and during the first Exam she demonstrated Fire Style jutsu and one of Orochimaru's standard techniques.

Any ideas as to her current ability would only be speculation, but she has not yet revealed the results of her training with Jiraiya or Tsunade. Moreover, Kimimaro has been quoted as saying that she may pose a challenge to him in the future. Kimimaro bears a large wound on his torso courtesy of a bout with Hinata, and any technique that can inflict such damage through Kimimaro's ultimate defense is certainly something to watch out for. It is fairly certain that no shinobi of less than jounin level could have earned Kimimaro's respect, given the scorn that he holds toward those he considers inferior.

**Team Dosu: **Veterans of the small village of Otogakure, this team is rumored to be Orochimaru's favored squad of assassins. All three owe their lives to the Snake Sannin, and they will fight to the death to further his plans. Their behavior at times seems impulsive, as for example their decision to confront three of Kiri's Swordsmen before the First Exam. They are definitely considered an underdog team, but perhaps their aggressive confidence is more justified than it appears.

**Zaku: **Zaku is one of Orochimaru's more successful experiments. The valves in his hands shoot high-powered sound waves that inflict massive damage on his victims. He also may possess enhanced hearing, as many shinobi of Otogakure are rumored to have. During his missions for Orochimaru, Zaku has consistently performed at chuunin level, though he has no genjutsu to speak of.

**Kin: **Kin rounds out Team Dosu with her skill in genjutsu. She is a long-range fighter, like Zaku, and uses a range of techniques that rely on senbon. She has been known to coat them in poison for assassinations, and incorporate them into sound-based genjutsu using bells. She is just as impulsive as Zaku, and with her genjutsu specialty she should be classified as a low to mid-rank chuunin.

**Dosu: **The leader of the Oto assassins, and much craftier than his teammates. He is reputed to be mainly a taijutsu user, and his style relies on the Melody Drill specially made for him by Orochimaru. He is a sensor-type shinobi because of his enhanced hearing, but his mixture of genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu centered on the Melody Drill allows him to fight at a high chuunin level.

**Team Sasuke: **A crowd favorite going into the Second Exam, even though – or perhaps because – the identities of the Swordsmen are unknown. They fight as if they have been together all their lives, even though they bicker often and loudly. Because of their extreme youth, the fact that they have been formally accepted as Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist is astonishing.

**Suigetsu: **The least tested of the Seven Swordsmen, Suigetsu is eager to make up for lost time. He hasn't yet met a battle he didn't want to fight, and he practices taunting with the same flair that he brings to swordplay. His primary skill is the ability to turn his body into water and manipulate it freely. It makes him practically invulnerable to physical damage, so that his taijutsu is extremely difficult to defeat. He uses Water Release with the skill and strength of a jounin.

Suigetsu wields the Hiramekarei, the Twinsword, a double-handled sword that stores the user's chakra to take on different forms. Suigetsu can change form along with the sword, for example making his arms bigger to bring more strength to his attacks. However, wielding the sword for long periods can tire him out, as his stamina isn't quite as developed when compared to his other talents. With the Twinsword and his unique ability, Suigetsu is a jounin-level shinobi, although his lack of genjutsu ensures that he has never yet been able to defeat his teammate Sasuke while sparring.

**Haku: **Haku began his career as a shinobi as Zabuza's henchman, but he has since become Zabuza's apprentice, and many high-ranking Kiri shinobi speculate that he is the most likely candidate to be the Mizukage's successor. His calm, level-headed detachment and logical approach to difficult situations make him a natural leader, and his loyalty to Zabuza and Kiri is unquestionable.

Haku's kekkei genkai gives him an edge over most shinobi, since it takes a tremendous amount of power to inflict any damage at all on Haku's ice – at one point, he thought his ice was unbreakable, but he has since learned that it is simply extremely resilient. Haku has jounin-level speed that only increases when using his Ice Mirror technique, and can perform one-handed seals like a seasoned shinobi with three times his experience. During his time training with Zabuza and Itachi, Haku gained a thorough grounding in stealth and infiltration, including the art of Silent Killing as well as the many techniques favored by Konoha's ANBU.

Because of his speed, advanced ninjutsu, and incredible strength of mind, Haku is a jounin-level shinobi to watch out for.

**Sasuke: **Sasuke trained since infancy with the greatest Uchiha warrior since Madara: his brother, Itachi. Sasuke gained his sharingan eyes very young, and mastered new techniques as quickly as his brother could teach him. Thanks to years of hiding his identity and fighting under assumed names, Sasuke is accomplished at many different fighting styles. His Fire and Lighting Release techniques offer him a wide variety of ninjutsu options, and he can hold his own in straight taijutsu battles using a half dozen different styles.

With his sharingan activated, Sasuke is nearly as much of a threat as Itachi. He can effortlessly combine high-level genjutsu with destructive ninjutsu and predictive taijutsu, although he lacks the unparalleled speed and mental fortitude that makes Itachi the Kage-level threat that he is.

Sasuke's contract with the Ninja Vampire Bat clan allows him to call on airborne allies with a devastating range of ninjutsu and genjutsu. The youngest son of Lord Sevaroth is Sasuke's favorite summons, and they fight together with almost the same level of trust and teamwork that exists between Hinamaru and Takeshi.

Sasuke's most recent improvement is his possession of the Lightning Swords Kiba, twin swords that channel lighting into extremely powerful attacks. In speed, strength, skill, and all three Ninja Arts, Sasuke is easily jounin level.

**Team Neji: **One of the most promising genin teams of Sealed shinobi, notorious in Konoha for accompanying the Hokage's son on the mission that forged the alliance with Amegakure. Although no Uchiha would admit to any doubts about the clan's superiority, more than a few would hesitate before challenging the team led by Hyuuga Neji.

**Tenten: **Tenten's skill with weapons is unparalleled, and she picks up new styles as quickly as an Uchiha with a high-level sharingan. Her speed and strength are chuunin-level, but she has no particular skill in or defense against genjutsu. Many doubt if her weapons specialty will stand up to ultimate defenses of the kind demonstrated by Gaara, Kimimaro, or Haku. However, Tenten is intelligent and sly, and as a Sealed shinobi in Konoha she has a lifetime of experience getting others to underestimate her abilities.

**Lee: **Despite years of scorn for being a crippled shinobi, Lee has managed to make himself into a living weapon. His taijutsu is flawless, and his training with Gai ensures that when the moment comes, Lee will have new techniques to take on shinobi with advanced ninjutsu. In terms of his taijutsu, Lee is at the level of a special jounin, but with his vulnerability to genjutsu he is best classified as a chuunin.

**Neji: **As a member of the Hyuuga Branch family, Neji grew up knowing what it meant to be a slave. His relatives in the Branch family were responsible for providing Madara with the secrets of the Hyuuga Curse Seal, which made the widespread subjugation of all Konoha shinobi possible. Neji lives with the guilt of his family's betrayal, and it has deepened his belief that we are all helpless to fight destiny.

Neji is a genius the likes of which the Hyuuga family has not seen in generations. His flawless use of the byakugan has earned him the grudging respect of many members of the Uchiha Military Police, who cannot deny his skill even though they detest his clan. Neji uses the Gentle Fist taijutsu style, and exhibits great skill with classic Hyuuga ninjutsu such as Heavenly Rotation. He is a formidable fighter whose eyes can pierce genjutsu, and he can hold his own against jounin-level opponents.

**Team Baki: **The Kazekage's children are already famous in their village for their exploits within Sandstorm. Gaara used to be the Demon of the Sand, but now he is a hero to the villagers. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari are the pride of Suna, the unquestioned best and brightest of the next generation.

**Kankuro: ** Kankuro is a traditionalist, using the increasingly unpopular puppetry style. In times past, Suna's Puppet Brigade dominated many a battlefield, but today the discipline and strategy that the style demands discourage most students before they achieve proficiency. In spite of Kankuro's somewhat brash exterior, he is actually a dedicated student of Suna's culture and warrior tradition.

Kankuro's puppet arsenal is balanced for attack and defense. His favorite puppet is Crow, an all-around puppet that can assume his form when he wants to stay hidden. With his puppets, Kankuro is at the level of a special jounin, whose talents allow him to engage multiple opponents while remaining out of the way of danger. However, if separated from his puppets, Kankuro's level is that of a chuunin.

**Temari: ** Temari is a hardened warrior of Suna who gives the lie to anyone who claims that kunoichi cannot keep up with their male counterparts. Temari could outfight any chuunin in her father's guard by the age of thirteen, and as the years went on she only became more deadly.

Temari relies on her Wind Release ninjutsu, which create powerful attacks over a wide area. She can ride her Wind Fan for aerial attacks, or wield it like a club for taijutsu. In recent years, it is rumored, she has expanded her arsenal by signing a contract with the Sickle Weasel clan. A highly intelligent shinobi who can assess a battlefield in seconds, Temari is a jounin-level warrior who fights best from a distance, but isn't afraid to get up close and dirty.

Her Sandstorm armor has greatly improved her close-range fighting ability. It is lightweight so that it doesn't interfere with her speed or maneuverability in the air, but it can turn aside a kunai or an exploding tag with equal ease.

**Gaara: **The jinchuuriki of Suna, and a shinobi that many consider to be the village's single greatest weapon. His sand is both offense and defense, and it protects him from harm even as it allows him to control the battlefield. Ever since the legendary Sannin Jiraiya fixed the imperfect Seal that gave Gaara control over Shukaku, Gaara has been growing exponentially in strength.

Without the threat of madness, Gaara's natural intelligence rose to the fore, proving him to be a formidable enemy every bit as crafty as his sister. In the rare situations that his sand isn't enough to crush an opponent, Gaara can call on all the power of his Tailed Beast. He is a force of nature and, some say, a genius, and already his powers begin to rival his father's. If he is not S-rank now, he will be soon enough – provided he survives long enough to earn that distinction.

**Team Asuma: **The InoShikaCho trio, born in Konoha and trained in Suna, are a fixture of Sandstorm and heroes of Suna. Generations of their forefathers fought together, and some say that their extraordinary teamwork is embedded in their genes.

**Choji: **All Akimichi are powerhouses, and Choji is not the least of his clan. His strength makes him a threat to be reckoned with, even when he restricts himself to taijutsu, and his clan techniques turn him into a one-man wrecking machine. His speed is only chuunin-level, but in his Sandstorm armor he becomes practically invulnerable. By channeling his chakra with the Akimichi bloodline ability, he can strengthen his armor to the point where not even wind chakra can penetrate it.

Choji is adept at the Akimichi ninjutsu, most of which involve altering his body shape for crushing attacks. By eating all three Akimichi food pills, Choji can obtain S-rank power, although it brings him to the brink of death.

**Ino: **A mind-reader and the dispossessed heir of the Yamanaka clan, Ino is an invaluable asset to any squad. Her mind-to-mind communication allows for instant responses to changing situations, and her power over the human mind lets her wipe enemies' memories, plant false thoughts, and even mind-burn an opponent, leaving him an empty husk.

Although she can't currently use any of her clan techniques for fear of being discovered by the Uchiha, Ino's Sandstorm armor compensates by giving her increased offensive and defensive capabilities. She has been training with whips as a taijutsu specialty, and the metal whips she carries can channel both fire and lightning. With her current stamina and speed, Ino is best classified as a high chuunin, though her clan abilities would allow her to qualify as a special jounin.

**Shikamaru: **Suna has never before seen a tactical genius of Shikamaru's intelligence. The trauma of his parents' death and the subjugation of his village spurred him from an early age to be driven and focused. He formulates strategies for every situation, and consistently achieves victory against large forces.

Shikamaru's ability to control shadows is a powerful technique that allows him to direct the flow of battle. He can trap his enemies, create barriers they can't cross, and even move physical objects. He uses his enemies' strengths against them, outsmarting them at every turn.

It is currently unknown how well Shikamaru can fight without his clan ability, but he has never shown that he was reliant on it. He can use all manner of shinobi tools and weapons, instantly adapting to any tactical situation. With his shadows he is a jounin-level threat, but there is no scale by which to measure his intelligence.

**Team Kakashi: **The second team of Konoha orphans, led by Kakashi and featuring an extremely effective blend of sensor, medical, and combat ninjutsu.

**Sakura: **The only Konoha orphan who isn't the heir to a prominent clan, Sakura has nevertheless risen above her lack of a bloodline trait. Her excellent chakra control has led to her becoming the apprentice of Chiyo-sama. Sakura is an accomplished medic-nin who also wields poison like a master. She uses senbon to attack over a distance, and coats all of her weapons with various toxins. She has worked up a resistance to many poisons, so fighting her at close quarters is a risky proposition. Her armor contains nearly limitless supplies of senbon, sealed away with fuuinjutsu.

It is rumored that Sakura was seen signing a Summoning Scroll, but as of yet that remains mere speculation. Her physical traits are chuunin level, and with her medical specialty and poisons she qualifies as a special jounin.

**Kiba: **Kiba is a ferocious taijutsu user and a proud member of the Inuzuka clan. He likes to fight up close and dirty, with his hound Akamaru providing support. They can coordinate their movements even in close quarters, often outmaneuvering single enemies. He uses special techniques to enhance his speed and close quickly with distant enemies. He is also a sensor shinobi, thanks to the enhanced senses of his clan.

Kiba has yet to unleash the most powerful of his clan techniques, but already he fights at a high chuunin level. His armor is specially modified to enhance his taijutsu, with blades concealed beneath the surface that he can extend with chakra. This allows him to take on multiple enemies in a taijutsu battle, relying on his armor to protect him while he slices and gashes with knees, elbows, and even his head.

**Shino: **Shino is another sensor-type shinobi, whose bugs act as scouts and powerful mid-to-long range fighters. In battle he prefers to hang back while his bugs search out the enemy, much like Kankuro wielding his puppets.

In order to conceal his identity, Shino has also developed a weapons specialty. He is skilled with a crossbow, and thanks to Suna's puppet craftsmen his armor gives him a wide range of options. He has arrows that explode, catch fire, and even multiply exponentially.

Finally, Shino is rumored to be a genius only slightly less significant than Shikamaru, though he goes to great lengths to avoid standing out.

**Team Sandstorm: **The three teams of Sandstorm prefer to fight together as a large unit when they can, and their offensive capability improves greatly when they do. They have developed combination attacks with devastating effects, and with the fusion of Gaara's leadership, Shikamaru's strategy, Ino's silent communication, and the wide variety of special skills and techniques from the rest of the group, Sandstorm becomes a powerhouse far greater than the sum of its parts. They are still young, but their power grows with each passing day, and Sandstorm is beginning to acquire an international reputation comparable to that of the Thirteen Guardian Shinobi of the Land of Fire, or Kiri's Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

To reiterate the rough classification of power levels: Gaara is on the brink of being S-rank, Temari and Shikamaru are jounin-level, and the rest are various levels of chuunin with clan abilities that can boost their performance significantly in certain situations.

oOoOo

Let the games begin!


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: **This chapter has been revised as of October 19, 2013. I've completely rewritten the fight between Naruto's team and the Oto squad – I decided, after thinking it over, that the old fight didn't do justice to either Naruto or Kimimaro. I've included what I think are some cool new techniques, as well as some cool new characters. This time Naruto puts up one hell of a fight. Please let me know what you think of the revised version!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 35**

The Forest of Death had been transformed. Normally it looked like any other forest in the Land of Fire, with the exception of the warning signs posted everywhere and the wire fence ringing the perimeter. Now it had become something different, something forbidding and deeply unnatural. The treetops were no longer green; in fact, they weren't visible at all. Somehow, they had been coated with a thick, whitish substance that clung to leaves and branches like putty. The whole forest was covered by the substance – one might have thought that the Forest of Death had been caught in a localized snowstorm, except no one could have mistaken that strange substance for snow. It was more like some giant construction crew had poured cement on the treetops by the ton, and then let it harden just enough so that it didn't drip down into the lower regions of the forest.

As the teams that had emerged successfully from Sasori's subterranean torture chamber arrived at the waiting area in front of the Forest, more and more genin began muttering fearfully, pointing at the trees. Naruto and his teammates, who knew beforehand what to expect, amused themselves by watching the reactions of the other teams.

"Think anyone's spotted the creepy-crawlies yet?" Takeshi whispered.

Naruto nodded. If he could see the flashes of movement against the gray-white background, the only sign that the Forest of Death was inhabited by more than its normal range of wildlife, then surely the other genin could, too.

"I can't believe the freak pulled it off," Akemi said. "Last time we came here, the forest wasn't even half covered!"

"Never underestimate an artist," Naruto said wryly. "Besides, if Deidara failed where Sasori succeeded, he'd probably lose the will to live."

Deidara and Sasori were the most straightforward of the ambassadors from Amegakure, and eighteen months had been more than enough for Naruto's team to discover the quirks in their personalities. Pain, Konan, and Kakuzu were still very much a mystery, however. Those three tended to keep to themselves.

Naruto grimaced, remembering the conversation he'd had with Pain before the first exam. There was definitely strange about that guy. They might be allies for now, but Naruto didn't trust the Ame shinobi one bit.

Deidara appeared between the genin and the forest's main entrance, followed by the twelve Uchiha proctors from the first exam. Silence fell immediately when the blond shinobi raised his hands, the black lacquered fingernail polish seeming to drink in the sunlight.

"Welcome to the second round of the Chuunin Exams," Deidara said, his deep voice jarring oddly with his feminine appearance. "You see before you the Forest of Death, but as you may have noticed, this year it's a little… _deadlier_ than usual. This is my masterpiece, the greatest fusion of nature and art ever seen on this earth. It took sixteen months of exhausting toil, but it is now ready to receive you." Deidara grinned, his eyes alight with sadistic expectation.

"This exam, like the previous one, is very straightforward. Each team must collect two scrolls before leaving the Forest – a Heaven and an Earth scroll. You start the exam with only one, and it's up to you to find another team with the appropriate scroll and… convince them, let's say, to give it up. There is only one rule: you may not leave the Forest until five days have passed. If you do not have both scrolls when the five days are up, you will not advance. As for the Forest's new look, well… if you recognize me from the Bingo Book, then you should be able to guess what it means."

_Yup, _Naruto thought with resignation. _The whole damn forest is rigged to blow us all to smithereens._

"And for those of you who didn't do your homework," Deidara went on, "the Forest is now a living minefield. I have coated the treetops with a substance of my own design. If exposed to an exploding tag, or chakra containing the nature of one of the five elements, it explodes with a force that makes an exploding tag look like a child's firecracker." Deidara smirked, enjoying the dumbstruck looks on many young faces.

"It is a little trickier than that, of course. Not all of the explosive clay will explode for any one of the elements – rather, there are five types of clay, and each type is keyed to a specific type of chakra. If you use a Water Release jutsu that touches the clay keyed to Water chakra… well, you won't be around to regret it. And don't go thinking that a single explosion will cause a chain reaction and destroy the entire Forest – I've prepared for that, too. If you trigger one explosion, it will only blow up clay of a single type - the surrounding clay acts as a buffer zone to limit the radius of the blast. The only casualties will be those unlucky few too close to the origin of the blast."

Deidara paused, relishing the confused whispers as if they were particularly tantalizing aromas. "I did not coat this training area with explosive putty simply because I enjoy watching weaklings die in a blaze of transcendent beauty," Deidara said. "Although that is certainly true. No, the purpose of this Exam is to see how well you operate in hostile territory. Shinobi who are outnumbered and on enemy ground cannot fight the way they're used to. Lengthy engagements with flashy pyrotechnics give away your position to the enemy, and after that it's only a matter of time before reinforcements arrive and you are overwhelmed. To pass the Second Exam, _my_ exam, you must obtain the scrolls like a true shinobi: quickly and silently, neutralizing any threats without using destructive techniques that would trigger an explosion. Is that understood?"

The remaining genin all nodded, looking like a sea of bobble-heads. Deidara clapped his hands together sharply, and the Uchiha proctors stepped forward as if they had been waiting for his signal.

"Very well then. The Exam Proctors will take your team to one of the entrances around the Forest, and when I send a red flare into the sky, the exam will begin. Oh, I almost forgot… try not to make too much noise as you search for Heaven and Earth scrolls. I've made a few additions to the Forest's wildlife, and my little pets are terribly disturbed by loud noises. You may not like the way they express their displeasure. Off with you, now!"

Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi exchanged tight nods. Sasori's maze had been tough enough – the Forest of Extremely Unpleasant Explosive Death (Naruto had just renamed it in his head) promised to be something else entirely. They would have to change their entire battle style – for example, all of Akemi's Fire Release jutsu were practically useless now, as were any of Naruto's Wind attacks, unless they managed to figure out how to distinguish which type of clay would explode when exposed to which type of chakra. It was a deadly game of chance, and Naruto was certain that only a fraction of the genin who entered the Forest would come out in one piece.

Still, his team would adapt and come out on top. They had to. More than a promotion was riding on this Exam.

oOoOo

_This forest is even creepier than it looked from the outside_, Hinata thought with disgust. She led her team as they raced across the ground, constantly scanning with her byakugan. Kimimaro had decided to stay away from the treetops, so that they were farther away from Deidara's clay creatures. Hinata could make out thousands of clay spiders, birds, and other forms of wildlife hidden amongst the clay. For regular eyes they were practically invisible, blending in to the explosive clay coating the trees, but Hinata could make out each individual chakra signature, and the sheer multitude was overwhelming.

"Are we any closer to Naruto's team?" Kimimaro demanded.

Hinata suppressed a shiver. It seemed that some evil fate tied her to Madara's adopted son and heir – seconds after entering the Forest, Kimimaro had told them that they had orders from Orochimaru to locate and neutralize Naruto. Hinata supposed that it made sense. If they could remove Naruto from the equation now, Konoha would lose the power of the Kyuubi during the Invasion. And as long as Naruto wasn't actually killed, it was unlikely that Madara would step in and punish a foreign team for what happened during the Exams.

An iron vice clasped Hinata's heart and squeezed mercilessly. She was hunting down her first teacher, the boy who had been her best friend. _He's not that boy any more, _she insisted, trying to convince herself. _His eyes are their eyes. His loyalty belongs to them. He's nothing but a threat to the people I love._

"We're half a mile away and getting closer," Hinata reported briskly, focusing on the bright chakra signatures belonging to three genin and one ninja hound. "We're downwind, but their ninja hound will sense us soon enough."

"That's fine," Kimimaro said. "It's less of a challenge if they don't see us coming."

Kabuto began to run through their strategy once again, but Hinata ignored him. She had memorized the plan the first time, and now she needed to prepare herself. _Cold as ice. _That was what she needed to become._ Hard as stone. Merciless as death itself._

Time seemed to slow down as Hinata assumed her pre-battle trance. It was something she had learned while training with Tsunade and Jiraiya – she could center herself, controlling her thoughts and focusing her mind as surely as she focused her chakra. Colors seemed sharper, and sounds became oddly distant yet remained perfectly distinct.

Naruto's team must have sensed them, because they were lying in wait. A dozen clones attempted to ambush Hinata's team when they were fifty yards away, throwing a barrage of kunai and charging forward. It was odd to see so many perfect copies moving in unison and maintaining complete silence – it was more like seeing a choreographed dance than the opening of a battle.

One clone on the right side ruined the effect by letting out a war cry, but its neighbor punched it in the arm.

"Quiet, idiot!" the second clone hissed. "Do you want to bring Deidara's pets down on us?"

The first clone didn't get a chance to answer, because Hinata's Shadow Snake Hands jutsu ripped open its throat and dispelled it in a cloud of smoke. Kimimaro destroyed the rest with several efficient, lightning-fast slashes from the bone swords he carried during battle, his favored weapons for taijutsu. Kabuto hung behind the two of them, hands close to his body, gathering chakra in complicated patterns for a jutsu that Hinata didn't know. He wouldn't be able to defend himself until he had finished the jutsu, so it was up to Hinata and Kimimaro to take on the three Uchiha Cadets by themselves.

As expected, Naruto's two teammates attacked after the clones, charging toward Akemi with weapons drawn. Akemi held her katana overhead, ready for a devastating slash. Takeshi crouched low, his metal gauntlets extended. Both watched Hinata with eyes that shone red, tomoe swirling rapidly.

Both sides advanced in silence, neither willing to test exactly how much sound was likely to attract the deadly clay animals from their hiding places higher up in the trees. Hinata threw a smoke bomb ahead of her – Uchiha eyes couldn't see through physical obstructions, but hers could. She would show these arrogant Uchiha the power of the byakugan – even if they didn't know what it was they were seeing.

Hinata used the Shadow Snake Hands jutsu once again, unwilling to reveal new techniques if she didn't have to. The summoned snakes dove into the heart of the smoke, seeking the prey that her eyes could still see perfectly.

Akemi jumped up to get clear of the smoke. Her sword shimmered in a blur of liquid speed, dispelling the snakes chasing her. But her speed was nothing compared to Kimimaro's – he had activated the first stage of his Curse Seal, and appeared at her side so fast his after-image lingered behind Hinata. His side kick caught the Uchiha kunoichi unprepared, and she went tumbling and skidding through the dirt towards Hinata.

Hinata meanwhile tracked Takeshi, who had tunneled underground at the first sign of the smoke. He burst up in front of her, using some jutsu that allowed him to spin so fast he appeared more like a drill made of wind currents than a person.

Hinata simply stepped forward and met his attack with a straight punch. Months of training with Tsunade, combined with Hinata's superb chakra control, had allowed her to master the Sannin's taijutsu technique of imbuing her physical attacks with monstrous destructive power. She met Takeshi head-on with her fist outstretched, and stopped his attack cold. He sprang backward, looking dazed, but had enough control to stop next to his teammate and help her to her feet.

Hinata and Kabuto used the Body-Flicker jutsu to reposition themselves several yards ahead, and just like that, the first stage of their strategy was complete. They now stood between Naruto and his teammates.

oOoOo

Naruto knew that this was no chance encounter in the Forest – the Oto team had come out of nowhere, coordinating perfectly to separate him from Akemi and Takeshi. This was an ambush, plain and simple. Naruto remembered Kimimaro from before the First Exam, and it seemed like the pale shinobi wanted to start up where they'd left off.

Naruto would be happy to oblige him.

"Is that all you've got?" Naruto demanded, drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra. It was like drinking deeply from a lake of liquid fire, scorching his insides even as it made him come alive. He activated his sharingan as well, though he decided to keep the Mangekyou in reserve. "You're gonna need more than smoke and a few snakes if you want to beat us."

Kimimaro straightened, jagged black lines segmenting his skin like a hellish jigsaw puzzle. "Precisely. Kabuto – do it now."

Kabuto's eyes lit up with sadistic glee. "My pleasure. _Edo Tensei: Resurrection!_"

Naruto could only watch in awe as the battlefield was plunged into almost total darkness. Two large tombstones rose slowly from a rippling horizontal gateway that shimmered into being on the forest floor. That opening was a hungry maw of darkness that sucked in the light, hungry for a taste of the living world. From the tombstones emerged two adult shinobi, both wearing Konoha hitai-ite.

Naruto had seen those faces before, when he was very young. They had been carved into a mountain – Madara had destroyed the old Hokage monument after the Night of Reclamation, but Naruto before that, Naruto had spent many lonely hours looking at the faces of Konoha's mightiest shinobi.

Their eyes were glassy and their skin the consistency of paper, until Kabuto stepped forward and jammed two kunai into the backs of their skulls. Two red seals dangled from the hilts, and these seemed to bring the resurrected shinobi fully to life. The brothers stepped forward, vitality flushing their faces, strength coursing through their limbs.

Considering the identity of his foes, and the fact that they were literally rising from the grave, Naruto thought it prudent to take them seriously. He activated his Mangekyou sharingan and cursed silently, wishing these legendary shinobi and their Oto handlers weren't between him and his teammates.

"The brothers Hashirama and Tobirama," Kabuto announced, sounding altogether too pleased with himself, "the First and Second Hokage, enslaved by the technique created by Tobirama himself. How deliciously ironic."

Tobirama shook his white mane of hair angrily. "You are either very confident or very stupid, if you expect to command _me_ without erasing my personality first."

Kabuto laughed. "I'll risk it. I believe you'll find that my control of this technique rivals even yours, Nidaime."

Hashirama looked around the battlefield, and a look of sly amusement crossed his face as he saw Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi. "If you're half as skilled as you boast, grave robber, I have to wonder why you summoned by brother and I to fight a trio of children barely out of diapers."

"What he said!" Naruto agreed. "…hey, wait… I'm fifteen, asshole! I'll knock your block off, Hokage or no!"

Tobirama peered at Naruto as if he were a slightly curious species of insect. "The Will of Fire burns brightly in you, young Uchiha, but the day you can hope to stand against us has not yet dawned."

The First Hokage nodded in agreement, then froze and gave Naruto a long, searching look. "You look familiar… where have I seen those features before? Are you truly an Uchiha?!"

Naruto took an involuntary step back, a little weirded out by the man's intensely hopeful gaze. "Uh… I'm adopted."

Hashirama startled Naruto by jumping up and down in delight. "I knew it! Brother, look! He's the spitting image of Mito… I mean, if Mito was a bratty little boy. He's an Uzumaki!"

Tobirama looked Naruto up and down, rather doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

His brother snorted. "Does the Raikage shit in the woods? Don't answer that – of course he does. Just use your sensor technique and test the boy's chakra."

Tobirama bent down and touched the ground with one finger. A second later he frowned so ferociously at Naruto that the adopted Uchiha actually stumbled.

"It seems he _is _an Uzumaki… and the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails to boot. Now I begin to understand why we were summoned."

"And he possesses the Mangekyou sharingan as well," Hashirama said, every bit as eager as Naruto in a ramen shop. "Can such things be – do the Uchiha now allow their bloodline to mingle with those of other clans? Has Konoha truly come so far?"

"It may be so," Tobirama said, though his tone contained more suspicion than wonder. "The second boy also possesses two bloodlines: Uchiha and Inuzuka."

Hashirama beamed brightly, like an innocent child given a present he has long hoped for. "Oh, perhaps my dream is in sight! A Konoha at peace with itself..."

Naruto loved the First Hokage all the more, now that he knew the village's founder shared Naruto's dream of peace between the clans. But he also felt ashamed, knowing just how mistaken Hashirama was about Konoha and the Uchiha clan.

Kabuto's laughter put an abrupt end to the Senju brothers' conversation. "I wish I could show you the _real_ Konoha, but I'm afraid we haven't the time. Hashirama, fight with Kimimaro to restrain the jinchuuriki. Tobirama, keep the others from interfering."

The former Hokages separated, glaring bloody murder, but unable to refuse Kabuto's order. Hashirama stepped up next to Kimimaro, while Tobirama stood with the mysterious hooded shinobi – Naruto _still _didn't know if it was a guy or a girl, though he remembered how viciously the hooded shinobi had destroyed his clone in Sasori's maze.

Naruto was not feeling good about this – his team was outnumbered and _seriously_ outgunned. Akemi and Takeshi were only fighting two shinobi, sure, but one of them was a Kage. Naruto was facing three to one odds, and there was no telling what skills Hashirama had up his old, dead sleeves.

_Sack up, _Naruto told himself sternly. _You've always wanted to be Hokage. Now it's time to prove you have what it takes._

"It's an honor to fight you," Naruto called out to Hashirama. "And, uh… sorry about that one time I spilled ramen on your statue. I was only six…"

Hashirama looked baffled. "You went to the Valley of the End when you were six? I'm impressed… but couldn't you have spilled ramen on Madara instead?"

Now Naruto was the one who was confused – how did this guy know Madara? And what in Kami's name was the Valley of the End? "Never mind, old-timer. Let's get to it. As for you assholes," he shouted, pointing at Kimimaro and Kabuto, "I'm not even going to dignify you by fighting you myself. If you want to play the numbers game, I'll oblige you. _Shadow Clone jutsu!_"

A hundred more clones appeared in a ring around Kimimaro and Kabuto. They all glowed with a faint aura of the Kyuubi's chakra, and with their elongated teeth and nails and their swirling sharingan they made for an imposing sight.

"Get 'em, clones!" Naruto called out. "_Genjutsu Gauntlet!_" His clones scattered like angry hornets, initiating a massive combination attack that Naruto had developed after months of practice. Clones were fragile, it was true, but since they possessed functional sharingan and significant chakra reserves, they could all cast high-level genjutsu unlocked by mastering three tomoe.

It might be possible for a skilled shinobi to evade his clones even when they were super-charged with the Kyuubi's chakra, but it took a truly amazing shinobi to defeat Naruto's clones without making eye contact with a single one of them. And each time one of Naruto's clones looked an opponent in the eye, it cast a genjutsu that interfered with the victim's brain. The result was a constant barrage of messed-up mental signals that swamped the enemy shinobi with false sensory input, allowing the remainder of the clones to beat him to a bloody pulp.

This technique was essentially the equivalent of surrounding an enemy with a hundred fully-trained Uchiha – without amazing resistance to genjutsu or some seriously powerful destructive abilities, most enemies would soon fall under the relentless barrage of genjutsu and taijutsu.

Naruto didn't have time to see how Kabuto and Kimimaro dealt with his technique, because Hashirama was already in motion. His opening kick was so fast and powerful that it would have taken Naruto's head off if he hadn't manifested two of the Kyuubi's tails just in time. The extra burst of speed allowed him to dodge, but just barely. The wind generated by the First Hokage's foot passing overhead was enough to blow his hair back.

Naruto jumped away, and drew out the Kyuubi's third and fourth tails on general principal. Hashirama was _much_ faster than Hidan, and Naruto would do well to keep that in mind.

"Remarkable," said the First Hokage. "Your control over your demon is impressive for one so young. The fusion of the Uzumaki chakra with the Uchiha ability to manipulate Tailed Beasts is a weapon of incredible potential. I only wish that I did not have to kill you before you can perfect it."

Naruto grinned. The molten power running through his veins, combined with the knowledge that he was fighting one of his idols, created a heady, almost euphoric sensation. "You talk big, old man, but can you back it up?"

A crushing pressure around his midsection was the only answer. Naruto looked down in shock at the wooden branch that had him trapped. It tightened around him, squeezing like a boa constrictor, yet harder than steel.

"My Wood Release allows me to turn my chakra into living energy and manipulate trees," Hashirama said, looking vaguely disappointed. "If you knew of me, you should have been prepared for that attack. Fighting me in a forest is the height of folly."

"Wood Release, huh?" Naruto choked out, hearing his ribs creak ominously. "That's a good trick – but I've got one too. _Demon's Claw jutsu!_" His hands sprouted their covering of deadly, edged chakra, and he slashed through his wooden restraints. He somersaulted forward and jumped left, avoiding follow-up attacks from the two severed wooden whips.

Naruto summoned three more clones, whose hands also glowed with the deadly close-quarters technique that blended Wind and demon chakra. "You three, stick with me," he told them. "Chop any wood that gets too close." At the same time, Hashirama lifted both hands like a conductor, and brought the trees around Naruto to life. They shuddered mightily, like wet dogs shaking themselves to dry off, and Deidara's clay broke off to fall in deceptively harmless-looking piles around the edge of the battlefield. A maze of roots rose briefly from the ground and sucked Deidara's clay into the depths of the earth.

Then a harrowing game of cat and mouse began, if the writhing mass of snake-like branches that hunted Naruto remorselessly could be compared to a cat. Hashirama directed the trees with impeccable control and a vicious imagination – he transformed each one into a rooted Hydra, the many-headed creature of legend that sprouted two new heads whenever one was cut off. Each branch became a snake-like neck that ended in a dragon's head, complete with beady eyes and vicious, snapping teeth.

Every time Naruto or his clones cut through living bark with their chakra-bladed hands, the severed branch just split into two. New hydra heads formed with unholy speed, all thirsting for his blood. There was no time for banter, no time even for thought, just mindless speed as Naruto tried to avoid losing a limb to this forest of gnashing wooden teeth.

From out of nowhere came a figure moving even faster than Hashirama's hydras. A roundhouse kick and a lightning-fast slash from a misshapen sword made of bone dispelled all three of Naruto's bodyguards, and then he was face-to-face with Kimimaro. The Oto shinobi no longer had jagged black lines all over his body – now his very skin was a rusty brownish-red, the color of drying blood. Bones jutted out of his skin all along his back, and he'd sprouted a white tail studded with spikes of bone. He was a monster, and he emanated a level of chakra and killing intent that seemed to Naruto like a force of nature, even cloaked as he was in the Kyuubi's chakra while manifesting four tails.

The wooden hydras drew back respectfully, forming a living barrier around the Oto shinobi and Naruto.

"That was an impressive technique with your clones," Kimimaro said, his voice deeper and more sinister than before. "Even I could not avoid making eye contact, and so was momentarily caught in their genjutsu. I had to activate the second stage of my Curse Seal to break their hold. They fought well together – it took longer than I thought to defeat them with my eyes closed."

Naruto eyed the murderous tree branches warily before replying in a deliberately flippant tone. "I like this new look on you, Kimimaro. Wish I'd known I could dispel genjutsu by turning into a dinosaur – would have done it years ago. Did I at least get the greasy-ponytail guy?"

"Kabuto was disoriented by layered genjutsu before I finished the last of the clones, and took a kunai through the heart for his carelessness. I trust it will remind him to keep his guard up in the future."

"Um… am I missing something?" Naruto asked. "A sharp object through the heart is generally fatal. I mean, that's what _I've_ always been taught."

"Not for Kabuto," Kimimaro replied simply. "He's more resilient than your average shinobi."

"Like a cockroach," Naruto agreed. "I guess I'll have to squash him myself, after I deal with you."

"Another time, perhaps," Kimimaro said. He turned his back on Naruto. "Hashirama," Kimimaro called out. "Stop wasting time! Suppress his demon immediately!"

Without warning, the hydras began to _melt_ into each other, the wood joining and reinforcing itself until only ten thick pillars were left. They were spaced evenly in a circle around Naruto, and had dangerous-looking spikes pointing inward at him. Naruto had the sudden, intense impression of being in a cage, although there were no bars.

Hashirama appeared next to Kimimaro, and his outstretched palm had a complex design etched in black ink. "This is another of the powers of my Wood Release," he said sadly. "The ability to suppress a Tailed Beast's chakra. _Hokage-Style Sixty-Year Technique: Kakuan Entering Society With Bliss-Bringing Hands._"

Naruto was going to make fun of the jutsu's ridiculously long-winded name, but a sensation not unlike having his guts ripped out with a large hook made him lose his train of thought.

"Aaaaagh!"

His back arched involuntarily, and he saw a line of reddish chakra begin to flow from his body to Hashirama's palm. Kimimaro watched impassively, his monstrous face betraying no emotion at all.

"It was easier to trap you than I thought it would be," Kimimaro said. "Perhaps if you were more familiar with the famous shinobi of the past, you would have been warier of the First Hokage's Wood Release. Nevertheless, it's over now. As soon as your chakra levels are completely drained, Kabuto will use a jutsu designed by Orochimaru-sama himself that will permanently block your ability to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra. You will be a jinchuuriki no more, and the world will see Konoha for the weak village it really is. Just be grateful that my sensei ordered me to leave you alive."

"You only have a few minutes left," Hashirama said through gritted teeth, as if speaking these words pained him. "If you've got any cards left, little Uzumaki, now is the time to play them."

_Oh, I've got a card left._

Naruto fought his own body, slowly forcing his head down until he was looking straight at Hashirama – staring right into the First Hokage's eyes. His chakra was dwindling fast, but the technique he was about to use didn't need much of the Fox's chakra anyway. "I'm sorry about this, Hokage-sama," Naruto said. "_Tsukuyomi!_"

Just like during the fight with Hidan, Naruto opened his eyes to find himself in his mindscape. Hashirama was strung up on a giant cross, and at his feet was the giant pit where the Kyuubi lay waiting. Red, bubbling chakra spat up like flares of lava from a volcano.

"Tsukuyomi," Hashirama mused, turning his neck with difficulty. "A good thought, but ultimately useless. Even if you managed to hold me for the full seventy-two hours, you would not break me… and we would only return to where we were a moment ago, with you that much closer to defeat."

"This isn't your average Tsukuyomi, Hokage-sama," Naruto said, working around to get behind the cross. "I've modified it to include a conduit to the Kyuubi, making the chakra of the captured shinobi vulnerable. I don't have to rely on torture to break someone – I can just drain him of all his chakra by feeding it to the Kyuubi. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I don't see that I have much choice."

"You managed to modify one of the advanced techniques of the Mangekyou sharingan?" Naruto was both pleased and sad to hear a note of approval in his voice. "Go ahead, little Uzumaki. I would die a thousand times over if it served my village."

Naruto reached forward, about to topple the cross, and Hashirama with it, into the pit where the Kyuubi would devour his chakra. But then he saw the kunai sticking out of Hashirama's neck, the one that Kabuto had inserted after raising the Kages from the grave. The red tag burned with a different color than the First Hokage's chakra, and it gave Naruto an idea.

"Hold still," he warned, jumping up and planting his feet on the First Hokage's shoulders. He pulled the kunai out, marveling as the wound closed before his eyes. The kunai burned his hand, and he quickly dropped it over the edge of the pit. "Take it and welcome, Fox!" he called out.

"_I would have preferred the human," _came the Kyuubi's rumbling voice. "_But the chakra in this Seal is interesting…it will serve for now."_

Hashirama spoke in a wondering tone. "I'm free… the Seal is gone!"

Naruto pumped his fist in the air, then made a miniscule change to his mindscape. The cross vanished, and Hashirama dropped down to the ground next to him. He ruffled Naruto's hair playfully.

"Little Uzumaki," he declared, "you are something else! We don't have much time – now that nothing anchors me here, the body that houses my soul will crumble, and I will return to the afterlife. So listen closely. You are a symbol of everything I hoped to accomplish in Konoha. The best of Uchiha and Uzumaki are combined in you, and I can tell you have a kind heart. Promise me that you will never let strife or division destroy this village!"

"I promise," Naruto said fiercely. He clasped Hashirama's hand, gazing earnestly up at the man who had founded his village. "As long as I breathe, I'll fight to make Konoha a haven of peace."

A single tear escaped and dripped down Hashirama's cheek. "If only my old friend Madara could have met someone like you… perhaps it would have been enough to change his mind."

Naruto froze, feeling like he'd been dipped in a bucket of ice water. Before Naruto could decide how to respond, Hashirama was once again all business. "End the technique," he ordered Naruto, "and I will do my best to help you before I fade away. Ah, and please promise me one more thing."

"Anything!" Naruto declared.

"Kill the enemies of our village, and send Tobirama to join me in the afterlife."

"That's two things – but they're as good as done." Naruto grinned at the First Hokage, who smiled back. Then Naruto brought his hands together in a familiar seal. "_Release!_"

He was back in the center of the wooden pillars, but now the stream of chakra flowing away from his body had disappeared. Hashirama reacted instantly now that he'd been freed. The ten pillars became living spears, half shooting toward Kimimaro, and the other half seeking out Kabuto, who was approaching from the opposite direction.

A bony shell encased Kimimaro from head to toe, repelling the First Hokage's attack. Kabuto wasn't so lucky. He struck twice with hands wreathed in green chakra, destroying two of the spears, and dodged to the right, but he wasn't quite quick enough. One of the wooden spears transfixed him through the midsection, causing him to cough up a gout of blood.

"That's for using me to hurt my beloved Konoha," said Hashirama with a laugh. "May you burn in hell. The best of luck to you, Naruto…" His words trailed off as his body turned into clay and then crumbled into dust. The wood that he'd controlled disappeared as well.

"Damn it," Kabuto panted, holding one hand over the bloody ruin that was his stomach. "That's twice! I'm getting tired of this."

To Naruto's disappointment, Kabuto began healing immediately. Kimimaro gave his teammate a reproving stare. "You should not rely on your regeneration so much. Better not to let attacks hit you in the first place."

"Easy for you to say!" Kabuto snorted. "_I _don't have an ultimate defense sprouting from my skin-"

"It's time to deal with the jinchuuriki," Kimimaro cut off his teammate, carefully avoiding eye contact with Naruto. "He has apparently figured out a way to reverse your technique."

"Obviously," Kabuto snorted. "But we've got one advantage: his teammates."

Naruto whirled in horror, and sure enough, Takeshi and Akemi had been captured. The hooded shinobi had immobilized them with snakes that bound their arms to their sides. Apparently Tobirama had been too much for them to deal with by themselves.

"The plan's changed, Tobirama!" Kabuto called out. "Kill the two Uchiha whelps."

"No!" Naruto drove forward with every bit of speed he could muster, even as the most famed Water Release user of all time gathered two columns of water and shaped them into spears. There was no time for Naruto to formulate a clever plan – in less than a second, his teammates would be dead. He had to act _now_.

So he did. Naruto activated the Body-Flicker jutsu, and interposed himself between his friends and the Nidaime's attack. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kimimaro and Kabuto jumping after him, and he knew that what he had planned would leave him completely open to their counterattack. But he had no other choice.

Naruto grunted with pain as one, then two spears of water pierced him in the stomach. It would have been a death blow for any normal shinobi, but the Fox's chakra immediately went to work to repair the internal damage and close the wound. Naruto's Mangekyou swirled with power as he made eye contact with the former Hokage and activated his modified Tsukuyomi. He practically _wrenched_ the white-haired shinobi into his mindscape, determined to make every millisecond count.

"Listen up," Naruto called out to Tobirama, who struggled against the bonds lashing him to the giant cross. "I freed your brother – I can do the same for you. But I need you to do one thing for me before you disappear."

Tobirama stopped moving, and regarded him impassively. "I saw those two shinobi attacking you – once you complete this technique and time resumes its natural course, you will be at their mercy. Do you want me to avert their initial strike? It shouldn't be too hard, and then you at least have a fighting chance."

Naruto swallowed, trying to gulp down his fear. "No," he declared. "I need you to free my teammates from that hooded shinobi. I'll take care of myself."

Tobirama nodded thoughtfully. "So be it. Free me from these bonds, and I'll do as you ask."

Naruto wrenched out the sealing kunai and cast it into the Kyuubi's pit, cursing Kabuto as he did. Tobirama's eyes widened slightly when he realized he was free, but other than that the grave shinobi remained impassive.

"I see much of myself in you," he said at last. "I once acted as you do now, sacrificing myself to protect my teammates. I only hope that you fare better than I did – there is much left that you could accomplish."

Naruto bowed his head. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. And please… free my teammates from those shadow snakes before you disappear."

"I will remember, young Uzumaki. My brother was right. You _do_ have much of Mito in you… and you have the potential to be greater still. Be well."

When Naruto rejoined the outside world, he set his teeth against the searing agony in his midsection. Tobirama disappeared, along with the water that had run Naruto through. Naruto trusted that he was going to free Takeshi and Akemi, but he wasn't going to be able to watch it happen.

That was because Kimimaro's counter-attack landed before he could dodge – that monstrous, bony tail wrapped around his chest and _squeezed_, ripping long gashes into his flesh. Naruto's chakra cloak burned Kimimaro as he came closer, but the Oto shinobi ignored the agony and focused all of his chakra and inhuman strength to keep Naruto immobile for one second more – just long enough for Kabuto to lunge forward, reaching for Naruto with a palm marked by a glowing seal.

"_Demon Constraining Seal!_" Kabuto crowed triumphantly. Naruto felt as though a door shut somewhere in his mind, and then the pain began. He had just enough time to hope that Akemi and Takeshi had escaped before darkness claimed him.

oOoOo

When Tobirama attacked with a barrage of water bullets, Hinata was forced to release Naruto's teammates and jump away. His task accomplished, the newly freed Hokage crumbled into nothingness.

Naruto's teammates yelled with helpless rage as they saw their leader succumb to Kabuto's seal. "Naruto!" Akemi cried.

The boy with the hound growled menacingly. "What did you do?!"

Kimimaro and Kabuto took up positions on either side of Hinata. Kabuto wore a satisfied smirk. Kimimaro just looked annoyed.

"We sealed away his ability to use his demon," Kimimaro explained. "I admit, I never dreamed he would figure out a way to negate Edo Tensei. If he had not left himself vulnerable to protect you, this fight might have ended very differently."

"So he's… not dead?" Takeshi asked, the hound at his side drawing back his lips to reveal his sharp canines.

"Not yet," Kabuto drawled. "But without the Kyuubi, your precious little prince is just a second-rate Cadet. He will fail out of these Exams, and the world will see that the Uchiha clan is not as mighty as the Hokage claims."

"We spare your lives, as per the orders of our leader," Kimimaro declared, coming out of his Stage Two form to become merely human once more. "He wants the respect of the greater shinobi villages, not the war that would follow if we actually killed your Kage's heir. But I will take this Heaven Scroll that Naruto carried, and leave you with a warning. If we face each other again, I will not be so merciful – there is no place in this world for weaklings."

Akemi gritted her teeth and raised her sword in a challenge. "Give that scroll back, and get away from my teammate! I don't care what kind of freak you are - I'll carve you to pieces and stuff those bones down your throat!"

"Stop, Akemi!" Takeshi snapped, lowering his weapons and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Naruto is unconscious and defenseless. These bastards could kill him before we have a chance to fight back. I don't like it any more than you do, but we don't have any other choice. They beat us."

Kabuto nodded, his voice dripping with condescension. "That's right, little pup. You show astonishing good sense for an Uchiha – it must be that Inuzuka blood."

Takeshi met his eyes with a surprisingly level gaze. "This isn't over, Oto scum. I guarantee it."

Kabuto only laughed. After Kimimaro retrieved the Heaven Scroll from Naruto's flak jacket, Otogakure's foremost team left the battleground. Movement from the nearby trees told Hinata that soon enough, the area would be crawling with Deidara's creatures. Akemi and Takeshi would have to get away fast if they wanted to save Naruto's life.

Hinata cast her sight forward, refusing to look at the team that they left defeated behind them. She wasn't sure what the feeling was that she had experienced upon seeing Naruto's motionless body, but whatever it was, she didn't like it. If this was what it felt like just sealing his power, how much worse would it be when the time came to kill him?

Hinata hoped, while hating herself for a coward, that Naruto would still be unconscious when the rebels took his life. She didn't want to look into those eyes ever again.

oOoOo

Akemi was furious with herself. She and Takeshi had been handled by some worthless Oto shinobi who didn't even have the guts to show her face, and once again it had been up to Naruto to pull their bacon out of the fire. This was _not_ how the Exams were supposed to go!

Naruto's teammates should have been able to help him. But instead, they'd been kept at bay by a smoke bomb and a few fake snakes. Admittedly, they had also gone toe-to-toe with the Nidaime Hokage, one of the strongest shinobi ever to live, but that wasn't enough to erase Akemi's shame. She who had vowed to one day kill Uchiha Itachi – how could she possibly avenge her brother if she couldn't keep up with the dusty old corpse of a Hokage?

They should be dead - _would_ have been dead, if not for Otogakure's reluctance to invite Madara's retaliation. If it was embarrassing to contemplate dying in the kami-damned _Chuunin Exams_, it was even worse to think that the only thing that had saved her was politics and a squad leader too brave for his own good. Naruto had basically kicked the asses of two Kages by sending them back to the afterlife – Akemi and Takeshi hadn't done shit except get in the way.

"Are we far enough away yet?" Akemi asked Takeshi crossly. They were sneaking through the Forest, flitting from branch to branch in the upper reaches of the trees in an effort to avoid further notice. It was certainly a risk to stay so close to the explosive clay, but it wouldn't explode if they didn't use any elemental chakra and as long as they didn't make much noise, Deidara's animals let them be. This way they were less likely to run into enemy teams, which was of the utmost importance right now. Akemi carried Naruto on her back, and she could feel the heat radiating from him. She bit her lip nervously, wondering what Kabuto's seal was doing to her best friend.

Takeshi nodded curtly. "Hinamaru can't sense anyone. We should wait here for the night. When Naruto wakes up, we can start searching for more scrolls."

_If Naruto wakes up_, Akemi thought, and had to resist making the sign to ward away evil. "Hide him here – right underneath these leaves. We can camouflage him so he blends in with Deidara's clay. Then we set up camp on the ground level. Anyone comes too close, they'll find us instead of Naruto."

"It's a good plan," Takeshi agreed, "or at least, it's the best we've got. We both need some rest after that fight. Hinamaru can stay alert for enemies and watch over Naruto at the same time."

They did the best job they could hiding Naruto, securing him to the broad tree trunk with ropes and obscuring his body with some of Deidara's malleable clay. Akemi's heart jerked painfully at the sight of her teammate's face, unnaturally pale even without the gray camouflage. Hinamaru squeezed in under the blond's arm and licked Naruto's face sadly.

Akemi and Takeshi dug a hasty shelter several meters into the earth, relying primarily on Takeshi's Earth Release techniques. They set low-level traps in the surrounding trees, disguised the entrance to the small pit where they were hiding, and took turns sleeping and standing guard. The night passed excruciatingly slowly – every waking moment, Akemi expected to be discovered, and to have to fight against long odds to protect Naruto.

It wasn't until the morning that her fears came true. She was wiping the sleep from her eyes when Hinamaru's bark sounded urgently from outside.

"There's a team coming!" Takeshi explained hurriedly, as they grabbed their weapons and burst out of the web of grass and leaves that disguised their shelter. Hinamaru was waiting for them on the ground, the faithful hound's teeth bared in a snarl, his whole body quivering and oriented towards an opening in the trees.

It was obvious what he was warning them about – three gigantic rock golems charged through the trees, fully eight feet tall, their heavy steps shaking the ground.

"Typical Iwa shinobi," Akemi snarled. "Less subtlety than a bitch in heat – sorry, Hinamaru. Takeshi, I think this is more your style. I'll hang back and see if I can't figure out who's controlling these rock puppets."

Takeshi bared his teeth with fierce anticipation and tossed a food pill to Hinamaru. "Time to go to work. _Beast Clone jutsu!_"

Now there were two identical copies of Takeshi side-by-side, the blood red sheen of their sharingan eyes complementing the red fang tattoos on their cheeks. A cry of "_Gatsuuga!_" rose from two throats simultaneously.

Akemi could have sworn she saw the golems' eyes widen in surprise before the attack landed. The power of the Inuzuka's drill jutsu ripped through rock like so many layers of paper, and in seconds the golems were reduced to a pile of rubble.

A ripple in the ground behind the golems gave away the position of the enemy. Out of the earth rose three forms that wavered and then solidified into Iwa shinobi, two women and one man. The man was by far the oldest – he was sixty if he was a day, but his rough, gnarled limbs were strong and his fierce eyes spoke of many years of battle. He had red hair partially covered by a three-pronged forehead protector with a golden ring on one side, and a full beard that tapered to a point.

The woman on the right appeared to be several years older than Akemi, and wore her brown hair cut just above her shoulders. Unlike the other two, she wore no Iwa hitai-ite.

The second kunoichi stood proudly in the center of the formation, wearing a close-fitting black body suit and tying her dark hair back in a bun with two locks hanging down to frame her face. She held a katana in a loose two-handed grip, and watched Akemi with a mixture of hatred and satisfaction. "Hello, brats. Remember me?"

At first Akemi drew a blank. But then... "You!" she exclaimed, pointing her own sword and gesturing to Takeshi with her free hand. "That crazy Iwa jounin who tried to blow up Tazuna's bridge… remember?"

"Holy shit," Takeshi breathed, recognition dawning. "You're right."

"It's been a long time since the Land of Waves," the jounin said gleefully, "but we meet again. And this time I, Yagi Katsumi, the Merciless Sword of Iwagakure, will dance upon your graves."

"Wait a second," Takeshi said, scratching his head in confusion. "You're a jounin. What are you _doing_ here? These are the Chuunin Exams – did you not hear the _chuunin_ part?"

"And where the hell did you come from?" Akemi added. "You weren't in the group of Iwa shinobi who passed Sasori's exam."

Katsumi shook her head. "We were in disguise, of course. And we're here to do what I should have done underneath that bridge two years ago – kill your little jinchuuriki friend."

"Probably not the smartest idea," Takeshi commented idly, as if it were of no concern to him whatsoever. "If it comes out that you infiltrated the Exams in order to target the Hokage's son, it might be enough of a provocation to start a war with Iwagakure."

"That's why we'll escape from the Forest undetected and return to Iwa after we kill you," the sword-wielding kunoichi said, as if pointing out the obvious. "Then there's no proof, and it looks to the world as though Naruto was killed by a genin from another village. Konoha's reputation will suffer, and Iwagakure will once again be the undisputed power among the shinobi villages."

"For Kami's sake," Akemi huffed, looking over at Takeshi with exasperation. "Why is everyone so set on discrediting the Uchiha? It's getting old!"

Takeshi shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "When you're top dog, it's only natural that the puppies will try and bite at your ankles."

"I guess you're right," Akemi allowed. She turned back to Katsumi, who was looking more and more annoyed by their carefree banter. Akemi gave a deliberately insulting laugh. "If I remember correctly, your teammates were dead within three minutes the last time you tried to tangle with us. I roasted your little beekeeper myself, and Takeshi's hound splattered your explosive expert's guts all over the place. I hope you brought better help this time."

"Oh, I did," Katsumi said smugly. "My teammates are-"

"I can introduce myself, thanks," the kunoichi with shoulder-length hair cut in. "I'm Suzumebachi, leader of the Kamizuru clan and granddaughter of the First Tsuchikage. That 'beekeeper' you killed was my little brother. I've been looking forward to killing you for quite a long time."

"Good luck," Akemi snorted. "But you'll excuse me if I'm not quaking in my sandals. Your brother's death – and he went out like a little bitch, by the way – did not quite strike fear into my heart." She ignored Suzumebachi's outraged retort and spoke instead to the third member of the Iwa team. "And who are you, grandpa? Are you here to chaperone the pretty ladies?"

The grizzled redhead watched her impassively. "I am Roshi," he said flatly. "Where is Konoha's jinchuuriki?"

"Straight to the point – I like that. But Naruto's out picking wildflowers right now. He's sensitive like that. Don't worry, the two of us are more than enough for you clowns."

Katsumi laughed delightedly. "Look at you getting all protective! Don't tell me your precious demon carrier has been injured _already?_ Isn't that a pleasant surprise…"

Akemi considered several witty retorts, but in the end she decided to express her feelings more directly. "Go to hell, bitch." She hefted her katana, and sensed rather than saw Takeshi extend the blades concealed in his metal gauntlets.

Katsumi nodded gleefully, her suspicions confirmed. "Roast them, Roshi. Suzumebachi will keep Deidara's animals from getting too close."

Roshi turned his emotionless glance from Akemi to Katsumi. "Watch your tongue, girl. I'm here on the Tsuchikage's orders, which said nothing about slaughtering defenseless children."

"Hey, who are you calling defenseless, grandpa?" Akemi yelled, not sure whether to be amused or insulted.

"Fine," Katsumi said through gritted teeth. "I'll kill them myself. It will be more fun that way."

"Don't forget me," said Suzumebachi quickly, eyeing Akemi with the avid intensity of a hungry wolf. "I have no such reservations."

"Then it's two on two," Takeshi pointed out. "Nothing like a fair fight, I always say."

Akemi laughed, appreciating her teammate's irony. "You mean, there's _no such thing _as a fair fight. As our friends from Iwa are about to find out."

As the tension rose, Roshi walked deliberately in the opposite direction, and sat with his back against a nearby tree. His eyes closed, and to all appearances he fell asleep immediately.

"Good help is hard to find," Akemi commented to Katsumi. "Do you think Gramps is going to need his diaper changed?"

The Iwa jounin curled her lip. "It's a shame that you won't live long enough to realize just how badly you underestimate him." Then she disappeared, leaving behind only the metallic after-image of her sword.

But Akemi was not as slow as she'd once been, and with her sharingan she could track the jounin's motion. Katana met katana with a _clang_ and a shower of sparks, and Akemi successfully turned aside the first blow, and the next, and the next. She wove a barrier of steel that her opponent could not break through, despite her greater speed and experience. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and her eyes traced the shining arc of her opponent's sword. She trusted her instincts, and with each blow she found the speed to bring her own weapon into place and parry.

Once upon a time, Katsumi had been able to hold off all three Cadets by herself. Now Akemi was holding her own. But she would have to do better than that to end this fight.

They sprang apart and circled warily, waiting for that crucial misstep that would leave the other open to an attack. Again and again they sprang at each other, until the Forest echoed with the harsh song of their swords.

oOoOo

Meanwhile, Takeshi fought Suzumebachi, and was discovering that the clan leader was considerably more skilled than her late brother. She summoned a horde of oversized hornets that formed a living wall around Takeshi, and shot their stingers at him in overlapping volleys. He couldn't hope to dodge them all, and each time he activated Gatsuuga and used the rotation like a shield to knock aside the stingers, he sapped a bit more of his chakra.

He and Hinamaru worked in tandem, trying to pin the kunoichi between them like a pair of sheepdogs cornering a particularly elusive sheep, but Suzumebachi was even quicker than her hornets. She kept using an Earth Release jutsu that raised a hexagonal prison of rock around Takeshi, shaped exactly like a honeycomb, and each time he broke through it with Gatsuuga only to discover that she had repositioned herself. The entire time, her pet hornets sent volley after volley of stingers toward the Inuzuka and his hound, and the barbed weapons dripped with some kind of venomous liquid.

Takeshi knew that it would only take one hit, and then whatever poison coated those stingers would end his part of the fight. His sharingan allowed him to track the projectiles even while using Gatsuuga, but their sheer numbers would become more and more effective as his chakra drained. He had to close with Suzumebachi quickly, or else this fight was not going to end well for him.

At that moment, the volleys of stingers ceased. Takeshi looked around warily, expecting a trap, and realized belatedly what had prompted Suzumebachi to momentarily stop her attacks. All around them, the clay-covered Forest was teeming with tiny creatures. Spiders were starting to descend on threads from the branches, and curious sparrows were hopping down to the ground. All were the same pale gray, while their eyes burned red. There were hundreds of them, and more were approaching every second. It was a terrifying sight, especially when Takeshi considered that each one was a time bomb with twice the power of an exploding tag.

"They're attracted to the sound of Katsumi dueling with your teammate," Suzumebachi explained. "Luckily, I came prepared."

Her hornet swarm turned away from Takeshi and began dive-bombing the encroaching creatures. Takeshi cried out, thinking that this would cause Deidara's creations to explode. But instead, the bees turned into yellowish blobs of honey on impact, enveloping their targets and hardening instantly, crystallizing with the little animals trapped inside. It was like seeing fossils or insects preserved in amber.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Suzumebachi crowed. "My hornets' honey contains enzymes that dissolve anything caught inside. Deidara's creatures will decay harmlessly as long as my insects are there to hold them at bay. That, you insignificant child, is the power of the Kamizuru clan!"

_Shit, _Takeshi thought, _that means that even if I manage to kill her… _his eyes widened as he processed the implications.

"I see you've figured it out," said his opponent. "Even if you _could_ defeat me, it would only ensure your own destruction. The honey would disappear, and you would be overwhelmed by Deidara's pets. But while you cannot kill me, _I_ am under no such restrictions regarding _you_. Prepare yourself!" She unrolled a Summoning Scroll and bit her thumb lightly, smearing some of her blood in the center of a complicated seal.

"_Summoning Art: Queen Bee!_"

The whole area filled with thick smoke, and when it cleared Takeshi could see the results of the Iwa kunoichi's summons.

_Wow, _thought the half-blood Inuzuka. _That… is one big-ass bee._

It was so big it blocked out most of the canopy from sight, and its wings cut through the trunks of two enormous trees positioned too close. They fell with a resounding crash, and Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief when the clay coating the trees' top halves didn't explode. Apparently blunt impact wasn't enough to trigger a reaction.

"That's some pretty big game, Hinamaru," Takeshi confided to his hound. "Up for some hunting?"

"**I hate bees,**" Hinamaru complained through their mental link. "**There's a nasty crunch when you bite down, and the stinger gets stuck in your fangs.**"

"Quit your whining," Takeshi said with mock sternness. "You sound like a cat, Hinamaru."

His hound growled angrily, but Takeshi had started running immediately after delivering that parting shot. _That ought to motivate him_, Takeshi thought, but most of his concentration was focused on the problem posed by Suzumebachi. His opponent was right – those little hornets and their honey were the only thing keeping Deidara's animals from ending this fight in a way that would be deeply unpleasant for both sides.

There was still hope, however. If Akemi could kill Katsumi first, then Takeshi could kill Suzumebachi and the two of them could get Naruto and escape from the creatures. Of course, that was assuming Takeshi could get to Katsumi – he would be of no use if he got trapped, stung, or devoured by the colossal queen bee.

_First things first, _he thought. _Hinamaru and I will bag us a queen bee. Akemi, you better be killing that crazy bitch… 'cause we're operating with one hell of a deadline!_

oOoOo

Akemi could tell that Katsumi had not expected her to be so skilled with a blade. The Iwa jounin's expression had started out scornful and expectant, but her eyes were now narrowed in concentration and a permanent frown tugged down the corners of her mouth.

"What's the matter?" Akemi taunted. "Never seen a girl with a sword before?"

"Best be careful, child," Katsumi returned, straining even her sharingan-enhanced reactions with a burst of speed that almost succeeded in separating Akemi's head from her shoulders. Akemi twisted away just in time, receiving only a slight gash along her left arm. Katsumi's lips parted slightly, and she hissed at the sight of her opponent's blood. "These things are sharp."

Then she leapt backward, and interrupted their taijutsu duel with an Earth Release jutsu that Akemi remembered from their first fight. The earth heaved up to form large waterfalls that crashed towards her. Akemi smirked slightly while dodging the first wave.

"What's so funny, Uchiha?" Katsumi demanded. "With my Earth Waterfalls, I control the battlefield. It won't matter if you can match my blade when the ground beneath your feet obeys me!"

"You've forgotten one thing," Akemi said, and her hands flashed in a series of seals that she had never performed before in her life. The tomoe of her sharingan swirled rapidly. "These eyes aren't just for show."

Three more rocky waterfalls rose from the earth, and they met the oncoming waves with elemental ferocity. It was rock against rock, earth against earth, and neither side seemed to have the advantage.

For the first time, a shadow of fear appeared in Katsumi's eyes. "How… how are you doing that?"

"Surely you're not asking me how the sharingan works?" Akemi taunted. "As we're in the middle of a fight to the death, I don't think now is the time for a lesson you should have learned back in your Academy days. But I will clue you in on a little secret that I only learned recently: I'm capable of channeling both Fire and Earth chakra. I think it was all the sparring I did with Takeshi that clued me in to that ability. Seems unfair, but you should just be glad you're not facing an Uchiha who's mastered Change in Chakra Nature in all five elements! I haven't practiced much with Earth Release techniques, but since I can copy any jutsu I see after seeing it once, I don't really need much practice - wouldn't you agree?"

"Your Uchiha tricks won't be enough to win this fight!" Katsumi fumed, regaining her self-control. "No one ever won a fight just by copying someone else's techniques!"

She followed up her words with another rush, and Akemi was too busy keeping the sharp blade from running her through to respond immediately. But after a straight lunge that forced the Iwa shinobi two steps back, Akemi began to laugh.

"You're right about the Uchiha," she said. "But we've been aware of the shortcomings of our kekkei genkai for generations. There isn't a single one of us who hasn't developed some strategies of our own, for moments when playing copycat just doesn't cut it. You're about to experience one of mine firsthand."

She set her sword down point-first in the ground in front of her, ran through a complicated series of seals, and took hold of the katana's hilt once more. The sword wreathed itself in reddish-orange light, pure chakra dancing up and down the blade in wisps of ethereal fire.

"You never got to meet my sensei, did you?" Akemi asked in a conversational tone. "The traitor Itachi killed him several days before we met you. If Hansuke-sensei had been with us at the bridge, you would never have survived to slink off with your tail between your legs. But all that's in the past. What matters now is that Hansuke-sensei's signature technique will not be forgotten, even though I wield a sword and he used a bow. Fire chakra in its purest, most powerful form, concentrated at the point of impact to overcome almost any defense. Die, you hag!"

Akemi had just enough time to wish that she could have thought up a more original insult before their swords met, but the result was more than satisfactory when her katana sheared through Katsumi's weapon a few inches above the hilt. The Iwa kunoichi cast aside her useless hilt with a snort of disgust and used the Body-Flicker jutsu to transport herself momentarily away from Akemi's follow-up swing.

Katsumi's voice had a ragged edge as she completed her next jutsu. "_Earth Release: Stone Gauntlets!_" What looked like solid granite encased her arms, transforming the lithe kunoichi into a grotesque half-golem. But she moved with every bit of her previous speed, wielding her stone fists like hammers in an effort to crush Akemi's skull.

Akemi dodged a right hook, ducked under a wild haymaker, and lunged forward with perfect form. Time froze as she stopped mere inches from the Iwa jounin's face – her eyes were wide, her mouth open in a rictus snarl. Her rock-armored arms fell limply to her sides. Then her whole body seemed to quiver, and she coughed up a bit of dark blood. Time resumed its proper pace.

Stepping back, Akemi drew her sword smoothly from her opponent's torso. Without the blade holding her body up, Katsumi fell to her knees, clearly struggling with every ounce of her willpower to rise and continue the fight. Akemi's swung her sword once more, ending the fight and Katsumi's life with a single blow.

She turned to see how Takeshi was faring, and breathed a silent sigh of relief when she found him alive and kicking. He was busy dodging the queen bee's rapid-fire bursts of honey, all of which were several times his size and flew through the air faster than senbon. Akemi realized a moment later that Hinamaru wasn't with him, and scanned the area worriedly until she spotted him. The brave little hound was running up the queen bee's back, ears flat back against his skull and teeth bared fiercely.

Akemi screamed out a warning as Suzumebachi appeared directly in front of the ninja hound, but it seemed that this was exactly what Hinamaru was waiting for. The hound jumped and twirled through the air, and a second later Akemi recognized the spirals of liquid coming from the animal as urine. Suzumebachi was already committed to an attack and so was unable to dodge – she let out a cry of disgust when the acrid liquid burned her skin and eyes.

"Way to go, Hinamaru!" Akemi cheered. "That's how we do it in Konoha, motherfu-!"

"Akemi!" Takeshi cried out happily, looking away from the oncoming honey bombs just long enough to ensure that she was uninjured. "You got her – good work! Just give me a second more to clean up Hinamaru's mess, ok?" He winked at her. "Now, Hinamaru!"

The hound jumped even higher in the air, becoming a copy of Takeshi once more before activating Gatsuuga. The queen bee might have been enormous, but she couldn't face in two directions at once, and she was already focused on Takeshi. A swarm of drones mobilized to try and intercept Hinamaru, but it was too late. He tore through them effortlessly and drilled through the queen bee's eye, heading deep into her brain before emerging out the other side.

Takeshi didn't see the giant bee disappear, because he was already off in search of Suzumebachi. The poor clan leader had received a face-full of Hinamaru's potent urine, which had a powerful caustic effect. The woman was likely suffering temporary blindness, and had retreated somewhere to try and regain her bearings. But Takeshi could have followed that scent anywhere, and it was child's play to track Suzumebachi to the trunk of a nearby tree, where she was hiding with the use of a high-level camouflage jutsu.

"You're finished," Takeshi said, placing the blades of his right gauntlet against her throat, and using his other hand to secure her arms behind her back. "Just keep holding off Deidara's animals with your tiny hornets, and I won't slit your throat. Got it?"

The kunoichi started to nod, but realized that with the blades nicking her neck, it probably wasn't the best idea. "I… I give up," she said thickly, eyes still overflowing with involuntary tears. Takeshi judged that it would be several hours before she could even see, let alone continue to fight. But he broke her arms anyway, just to be sure. You could never be too careful with an enemy shinobi, after all – you never knew what pesky hand seals they might be keeping in reserve. He was impressed with her fortitude – she screamed once, but then clamped her mouth shut and maintained a steadfast silence.

"Nice work," Akemi greeted him as he returned with his new prisoner. "Glad you didn't kill her – there are far too many creepy-crawlies around here for my taste."

"Actually," Takeshi said, peering around, "there seem to be less appearing. Do you think Miss Honey Bee has actually managed to thin out the local population?"

Akemi stared into the treetops, thinking hard. "That, or there's another fight somewhere in the Forest that's even noisier than this one. I bet it's those Oto shinobi – maybe they're going head to head with the Kiri swordsmen, or those armored goons from Suna."

"Whatever it is, we should just be grateful," Takeshi said. "Once the captured animals are safely dissolved, we can tie our prisoner to a tree and be on our merry way."

Akemi shook her head. "You're forgetting one thing. What about Grandpa over there?" She hooked a thumb at the red-haired shinobi, who was slumped against a tree trunk in the exact same position he'd assumed before the fight.

Takeshi shrugged. "Hey, old man!" he called out. "I'm sorry about your teammate, but you see that we've kept one alive for you. How about you collect her and head back to Iwa? Maybe give us your team's scroll while you're at it – we're in need of both Heaven and Earth scrolls, as it happens."

Roshi climbed to his feet and walked towards them slowly. He passed by Katsumi's body without blinking an eye.

"She always did rely on that blade too much," he commented idly. "Knew it would go poorly for her one day. You fought well, child, I'll admit that."

"You're outnumbered, you senile old geezer," Akemi said. "And we've got your teammate hostage. Please, just go back to your village, will you?"

As Roshi met her gaze, a massive wave of killing intent surged up and rooted her in place. Suddenly the old man didn't look so frail – in fact, it was all Akemi could do to remember to draw breath.

"I also wish to leave," Roshi said sadly, "but I am bound by my loyalty to Iwagakure. I must remain in this Forest until Uchiha Naruto is dead. Now either produce him and step out of my way, or die."

"I don't like either of those options," Akemi declared, fighting to keep her tone jaunty. "Let's try and find a middle ground, which by the way is the ground where we bury your sorry old ass."

Roshi took out a peculiar curved kunai from his belt pouch. "It goes against the grain to kill children such as you, but sometimes we must do things in the name of duty that we would rather avoid. Such is the price of being a shinobi. If it makes any difference, you should know there is no shame in your deaths. Many would consider it an honor to die in battle against the jinchuuriki of Iwagakure."

"_Merciful-Kami-on-a-stick_," Takeshi blurted out. "He's got a demon, too!"

_Thanks for stating the obvious, _Akemi thought with exasperation. _Any other observational gems you want to share? Maybe "Oh shit, oh shit, we're gonna die?!"_

Akemi hefted her katana once again, but held very little hope that her fire chakra could stand up to the power of a Tailed Beast.

_Damn it, Naruto, we could really use your help down here! Where the hell are you?!_


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: **From some of the reviews for last chapter, it seems like a lot of the readers think Naruto lost against Kimimaro too easily. While it's true that he lost _badly_, I want to share the reasons why I think that outcome was not only possible, but likely.

First, Naruto has never lost a battle since receiving Shisui's sharingan and improving his control over the Kyuubi – he's never even come close to losing. Second, he has never fought with the mind-set that he has to avoid every blow. After all, his Mangekyou sharingan makes him all but invulnerable to genjutsu, and his healing abilities mean that even a deadly wound is just a temporary setback. That kind of near-invulnerability is likely to make a shinobi a little complacent, because he subconsciously believes that no matter how hard he gets hit, he can always hit back a little harder. Third, Naruto has never seen Sealing Jutsu used in battle, and has zero experience using them himself. Therefore, he had no way of knowing what Kabuto was preparing. Finally, the sharingan does not allow a shinobi to perform past the limits of his own body – Lee proved that to Sasuke before the canon Chuunin Exams. Kimimaro's Stage Two form was much faster than Naruto, who wasn't drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra at the time. His tail attack wasn't a demonstration of his complete superiority over Naruto – who would have upped his speed if the fight had continued – it was simply a first strike that Naruto didn't realize was part of a well-thought-out strategy to apply the Chakra Seal.

I am not excusing Naruto from blame. He made three major mistakes: overestimating himself; underestimating Kimimaro; and failing to recognize the threat posed by Kabuto's technique until it was too late. All of these are foolish mistakes for a shinobi, and any one of them could have resulted in his death. The fact that he is alive right now has nothing to do with him, and entirely to do with Kimimaro – although not for the reasons you may think.

Even geniuses make mistakes. Sometimes they get lucky. Sometimes they even lose. And someone like Naruto, who began with nothing but guts and a few power-ups that he never asked for and hasn't yet earned, is going to make many more mistakes than a natural genius. One thing you can depend on, however, is that he won't make the same mistakes twice. Character growth didn't stop when Naruto received his sharingan – he's learning as he goes, and last chapter was a fairly blunt lesson. And this chapter, he gets the opportunity to show that he makes good use of his second chances.

I hope you choose to read on, and judge for yourself if you think he's learned enough before the end. But if you're looking for a Godlike!Naruto story where he turfs out all five Kages before he's had to suffer, learn about his own limitations and weaknesses, or damn well _earn_ his power-ups through his own sweat and blood, then you should look elsewhere.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 36**

Naruto had lost track of how long he'd been unconscious. Kabuto's seal had shattered his grip on reality, and when he opened his eyes after an interminable period of shifting, swirling chaos, he found himself trapped deep in his mindscape. He seemed to be stuck down at the bottom of a deep well.

After a moment, Naruto recognized it as the same well that he used to draw excess chakra from the Kyuubi without manifesting any of the beast's nine tails. It was the first aspect of his mind that he had consciously shaped after harnessing the power of his sharingan. Now, however, the well was bone dry, and at the bottom was a paper seal with a design that glowed green and emanated heat that seemed to scorch Naruto's very soul.

He clung to the side of the well with all his might, but he had no chakra with which to anchor himself. His muscles were throbbing, and the unforgiving rock was starting to cut into his hands. He didn't know what would happen if he fell away from the wall and onto that seal, but he had a feeling that it would be extremely, even mortally unpleasant.

_Damn it Naruto, focus! This is _your_ mind – there may not be any chakra to use, but you're still in charge of what goes on here. Act like it!_

Naruto willed himself to ignore the pain in his limbs, to dismiss it as an illusion crafted by his brain. He gathered his ragged, scattered thoughts, and visualized a handhold emerging from the rock in front of him. It felt like something was fighting back – as if he weren't in complete control of his mind. But he gritted his teeth and _pushed_, and, miraculously, a small slab of rock slid out a few inches from the wall in front of him.

Naruto transferred his grip to the tiny ledge, and repeated the process several inches higher up the wall. Again that feeling of resistance, of battling a malevolent intelligence that wanted to drag him down to the bottom of the well. But Naruto wouldn't give in, and soon he had created a dozen ledges that allowed him to ascend the inner wall like a spider. With each ledge the sense of resistance lessened, until Naruto was practically flying up the well, using ledges that appeared as soon as he envisioned them. Finally, Naruto stopped using the ledges at all, simply telling himself that he was levitating up the well with sheer force of will. His body obeyed and he shot upward, effortlessly, once more the master of his own mind. The light above him grew brighter and brighter until at last, Naruto burst out into the open field of the outermost layer of his mindscape.

He was weary and gasping for breath, but his euphoria at escaping that unearthly seal kept him upright and focused. Naruto's next thoughts were of his team, who might even now be fighting a mismatched battle against the mysterious shinobi from Oto. Or worse, they might be-

Naruto cut himself off in mid-thought – that was one possibility he refused even to contemplate.

"I just have to wake up," he said aloud, drawing reassurance from the sound of his own voice. "Just… wake up!"

Nothing happened.

"Genjutsu can sometimes by experiencing some sharp pain or shock," Naruto reasoned. "This might not be a genjutsu, but maybe it'll work for me too…"

He thought hard for a moment, until a gleaming kunai materialized in his grip. Before he could think better of his plan, he stabbed the back of his left hand.

The pain was immediate and excruciating, and he screwed his eyes shut in an effort not to scream. When he opened his eyes, he saw only gray.

He tried to sit up, and realized he was tied down to something. It felt like wood, but it was too rough to be a table or chair. Naruto fought against his instincts, which were to thrash around like a fish in a net, and tried to test his range of motion.

_What the… did those Oto bastards kidnap me?!_

To his complete surprise, he found that the ropes around his body were not securely tied, merely looped to keep him stationary – it was how shinobi anchored themselves when they had to sleep in a tree.

From that, Naruto deduced that Akemi and Takeshi had somehow survived the attack – and he would love to hear how they had done that – and hidden him in the treetops. So this gray stuff…

Naruto froze, as he realized that he was likely covered in Deidara's clay.

_Thanks, guys! _he thought sarcastically. _I feel _much _safer._

A few seconds' work – _careful_ work – freed him from the ropes and got rid of his explosive camouflage. Then he set about finding his teammates.

He didn't have to look very far. Down at ground level, in a nearby clearing framed by the fallen trunks of two truly enormous trees, Akemi and Takeshi stood opposite a shinobi from Iwa. Naruto's trained eyes quickly took in the situation, noting with approval Takeshi's hostage and the corpse next to the only remaining enemy.

_Seems like they've got everything in hand, _Naruto thought, _but it's only fair that I help with the last one. I wonder how long I've been out cold?_

Then the waves of killing intent began radiating from the sole remaining Iwa shinobi, and Naruto hastily revised his understanding of the tactical situation. He used a Body-Flicker jutsu to appear next to his teammates, and flashed them his brightest smile.

"Hey, you two. Did you miss me?"

Akemi, startled, was unable to hold in her sigh of relief. Then she coughed unconvincingly, trying to pass it off. Takeshi nodded at Naruto, beaming. "Glad you're ok, boss. Ready for another fight?"

"Born ready," Naruto replied. "Who's the old guy?"

"A jinchuuriki from Iwa," Akemi snapped, "so you'd better not pussy-foot around like you did with the last guy!"

Naruto winced. Akemi's words were harsh, but not nearly so bad as the sting of Naruto's guilt. He had never handled a situation so poorly, not even when Itachi had defeated him in the Land of Waves without launching a single attack.

Naruto had tried to defeat Kimimaro like an Uchiha, using a high-level genjutsu deriving from his three-tomoe sharingan to immobilize the Oto nin. But when Kimimaro had transformed into that inhuman monster, a surge of some strange chakra had freed Kimimaro from the genjutsu's hold, allowing him to lash out with that frighteningly fast tail. Even then, Naruto had not realized the danger he was in, because he planned to free himself with a burst of power and speed from the Kyuubi. Then Kabuto lunged, and Naruto had just enough time to realize that something was very wrong…

Enough. His team had almost died because of his stupidity, but now was not the time to wallow in self-pity. He just had to remember the humiliation he had suffered, the helplessness of that moment when he figured out just how badly he had miscalculated… and vow never to experience that feeling again.

The elderly jinchuuriki appraised Naruto steadily. "So you have decided to join us. I look forward to testing my strength against the power of the Nine-Tails."

Naruto took a leaf out of Akemi's book and tried to cover up his look of dismay with a bout of coughing. When he tried to reach out to the Kyuubi's chakra, there was nothing to grab hold of. He was on his own.

_Well, _Naruto thought, _if I can't hack it without the Kyuubi, I might as well slit my own throat now and be done with it._

"Hey, you guys," Naruto said, looking at his teammates. "Any chance I can convince you to sit this one out? I think Redbeard only wants to tangle with me."

For once, Akemi and Takeshi were completely united. Their looks of scorn, combined with the sudden spike of killing intent, scared Naruto much more than the jinchuuriki he was about to face. "Point taken," he muttered. As if to emphasize what he would do to Naruto if the blond genin if he kept them from the fight, Takeshi knocked his hostage out cold and tossed her through the air, away from the coming battle. Naruto felt bad for the girl – she had obviously received quite a beating from the half-blood Inuzuka.

"I wish I could give you what you want," Naruto said to Roshi, "a fair, honorable fight between two jinchuuriki. But my sensei taught me never to fight fair, so I hope you don't mind if I bring a few friends."

Naruto gathered his chakra and unleashed a large amount in a single jutsu. The Forest came alive with Naruto clones, each one watching Roshi with red eyes that did not contain three tomoe, like Akemi or Takeshi. No, Naruto had activated Shisui's Mangekyou sharingan, so his clones shared the pinwheel pupils that signified Shisui Uchiha's legacy.

"Take him down!" Naruto ordered.

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir!" from the majority of the clones, and every here and there a wise-ass shouted "Whatever you say, boss!" Then a score of clones dressed in the Uchiha Military Police uniform descended on Roshi from all sides. The majority of Naruto's clone army hung back, waiting to see how Iwa's jinchuuriki would respond to this attack. Naruto fully planned on obliterating his opponent with the power of his Mangekyou, but if he struck out rashly, he might get felled by a counter-attack. Better to take the offensive and use his clones to figure out Roshi's abilities.

Roshi didn't move an inch. The clones fell upon him, hiding him momentarily from sight. Then Naruto detected a reddish glow, and suddenly flames shot out in all directions. The clones disappeared instantly, revealing a terrifying sight. Roshi was covered from head to toe in molten lava – it moved as he moved and cloaked him like living armor.

"I have no patience for games," Roshi said from the heart of the inferno. "Thanks to my demon's Lava Release, I am now impervious to physical attacks. If this is the extent of your power, you will die quickly."

The rest of Naruto's clones tried to buy them some time, descending en masse and deploying coordinated Water Release jutsu, but none came close to penetrating Roshi's molten armor.

"We'll get fried if he even gets close to us," Takeshi pointed out to his teammates. "I can feel the heat from here. That rules out taijutsu completely – we have to stay on the defensive until we figure out a way to take him out."

"I have an idea," Akemi said, turning to the half-blood Inuzuka. "Watch these seals and duplicate them." She copied the seals that she had seen Katsumi make just before the jounin's death, with just one minor modification at the end. "_Earth Release: Rock Armor!_" The jutsu worked just as she hoped – granite armor materialized around her, including a stone face-mask with holes for her eyes and mouth.

"Yes! Now I won't get incinerated immediately if he manages to get too close. Can you copy the jutsu, Takeshi?"

Rather than answer, Takeshi made the hand seals perfectly and donned rock armor of his own. Naruto shook his head sadly. "It's times like these that make me wish I could do Earth Release. Still, I can try to help out."

Naruto summoned another batch of clones, who then Transformed to become exact replicas of the stone armor worn by Akemi and Takeshi. Because Naruto couldn't do Earth Release it was a thin disguise at best, but it would certainly help Akemi and Takeshi avoid getting singled out by Roshi.

"We can't win if we stay on the defensive," Naruto pointed out. Even now, Roshi was cutting a swathe through Naruto's clones, not even bothering to use any jutsu. The heat from his lava armor incinerated any clone that got too close.

"So what's the plan?" Akemi asked. She knew from the gleam in Naruto's eye that there was, indeed, a plan.

Naruto had one ace card up his sleeve, but he didn't want to play it if he didn't have to. Among other things, using _that_ technique would keep him from activating his Mangekyou sharingan for a long time, and he had a feeling that he would need the doujutsu again before the end of these Exams. That meant he had to use a little more strategy, but with three pairs of highly developed sharingan eyes to draw on, his team had some options.

"You two are going to have to prove that you're masters of the sharingan," Naruto replied. "As long as Roshi can tap his Tailed Beast's chakra, we're in trouble. But General Fugaku showed me that it's possible to suppress a Tailed Beast's chakra by using your sharingan to activate a high-level genjutsu. That's how he helped me hone my control of the Kyuubi."

"Fair enough," Takeshi said, casting a worried glance to the other side of the clearing, where Roshi had dispersed nearly half of Naruto's clone-golems. "So how do we activate the technique?"

"First off, it requires eye contact, and as long as Roshi's cloaked in that lava armor, the technique won't work. So getting it off him will be my job, since I've got a technique in mind that should stand up to his lava attacks."

Naruto quickly created two more clones, who transformed into oversized hitai-ite and draped themselves around his teammates' necks. They had Naruto's memories, so they could give Akemi and Takeshi a crash course in Tailed Beast Chakra Suppression theory as they maneuvered around the battlefield and tried to avoid Roshi.

"These clones will talk you through the theory while I try and figure out how to get Roshi to drop his armor. Don't worry too much, you two. General Fugaku always said that if your sharingan is developed enough, it's more about willpower than technique – otherwise I would never have figured it out!"

He grinned widely, and gave them an encouraging thumbs up. Akemi said several hurtful words.

"So that's the plan," Naruto continued. "You two stay out of Roshi's way until you're ready to suppress his chakra. Meanwhile, I'll keep the bad boy busy, and see if I can't make any chinks in that armor. With a little bit of luck, the two of you working in tandem can block his connection to his demon enough to give us the upper hand."

"Hey, Naruto," Takeshi said as an afterthought. "That technique you're going to use to go toe-to-toe with Roshi… it's not the one you've never actually cast successfully, right?"

Naruto's grin turned a little sickly. Takeshi heaved a deep sigh. "All right, then."

"I grow tired of these games!" Roshi bellowed from across the clearing, flaring his armor in a sudden burst that took out a dozen clones. "If you won't fight me yourself, I'll bring the whole Forest down! _Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock jutsu!_"

He exhaled mightily, sending spheres of deadly lava hurtling through the air in every direction. Naruto had to jump away from his teammates to avoid one of the fiery projectiles, and winced when he saw it continue across the battlefield and set one of the fallen tree trunks on fire. It appeared that the clay Deidara had used on this tree wasn't tuned to Fire _or_ Earth chakra, because no explosion followed. But with lava spewing in every direction, it was only a matter of time before one ignited the right type of clay.

"Hey, asshole!" shouted one of Naruto's clone lieutenants. It Transformed from a golem back to its normal appearance, its expression defiant. It wore a lieutenant's rank insignia on its Konoha Military Police uniform, and had a higher level of chakra than the majority of Naruto's clones. He had discovered years ago that his clones performed a little better if they had some military discipline and organization. "If you keep shooting off lava like an idiot, you'll blow yourself up, too!"

"That's an acceptable trade," Roshi replied, continuing to fling lava spheres through the air. "I cannot risk this battle extending long enough to draw the attention of the Exam proctors. If I must sacrifice myself to carry out my orders, then so be it."

"Not so fast, old timer!" the lieutenant crowed. "We're experts at fighting fire. _Clones!_" it thundered, pitching its voice to carry even further. "We've trained for this… or not, but whatever. _Clone Fire Brigade jutsu!_"

Without missing a beat, Naruto's clones began throwing themselves individually at the lava spheres, targeting the projectiles with a water jutsu that created a powerful column of water spinning at high speeds. Each time a jet of water connected with a lava sphere, a scalding spurt of steam shot out too fast for the clone to dodge. But the clone lieutenants filled in the ranks of firefighters by using the Shadow Clone jutsu again and again, sacrificing their own high chakra levels to create specialized clones with just enough chakra each to neutralize one sphere of lava. For the moment, at least, Roshi would not blast them all to hell by setting off Deidara's clay.

Roshi stopped spewing lava, and his Lava Release armor dimmed until it was just a thin layer over his fighting tunic. "This ends now," he declared, bringing his hands together in a meditation pose. "_Tailed Beast Transformation: Four-Tails!_"

A wave of pure chakra radiated from him, destroying the nearest clones and levitating nearby pebbles and loose leaves. Roshi began to change, four tails sprouting behind him and waving furiously. He shot upward, and as he grew his skin became fur the same deep red color as his beard. The last things to change were his eyes. They were ancient, intelligent, and utterly malevolent.

"Um…" Naruto muttered weakly, fighting the urge to whimper. "At least I got him to drop his lava armor…"

He barely dodged the long tongue of green flame that Roshi shot from his Tailed Beast form's mouth. The thing was too big to be that fast!

Naruto spared a glance around to check for Akemi and Takeshi. He couldn't distinguish them from the dozens of remaining Transformed clones, which meant that Roshi probably couldn't either. Naruto drew on some more chakra in order to create a new cohort of golem-clones – his friends' part of the plan required a large crowd to hide in.

So far, Naruto hadn't been anything more in this fight than a clone factory. It was time to do something about that.

"Hey, monkey boy!" he called out, drawing Roshi's attention. Naruto took a ready stance and waved his hand imperiously, at which all of the clones between him and Roshi stood aside. "How about you pick on somebody your own size?" He took a deep breath, gathering most of his remaining chakra for a jutsu that he had never yet cast successfully. _Here goes nothing…_

"You're not the only one who can summon a big, scary monster!" Naruto yelled. He fed the chakra he'd gathered to his Mangekyou sharingan, feeling his eyes begin to burn. "Let's see how you like this one… _Susanoo!_"

Naruto would have had a difficult time describing the agony that engulfed his body as he attempted to force his guardian to manifest. If asked to try, he might have said that it felt like all of his nerve endings had been grasped by microscopic tweezers and ripped free of their skeletal moorings. That was too clinical, however, too emotionless – this pain was malevolent, self-directing, even intelligent. It searched for new corners of Naruto's soul and set them on fire, fading in places only to ignite with renewed agony.

But Naruto was no stranger to pain, and he was too stubborn to quit. Gradually he worked his will upon the blue chakra swirling in the air around him, until it took the form he had envisioned: a giant ribcage, even larger than Roshi in his Tailed Beast form. This was the first stage of Susanoo's manifestation, a defensive ribcage formed of translucent sky blue chakra.

"Wow," said Naruto, looking around from inside. "I can't believe that worked!"

With an odd flash of insight, Naruto realized that this was the first time he had ever tried to summon Susanoo without calling on the Kyuubi's chakra. _I wonder if using two kinds of chakra actually caused the technique to fail?_

An interesting question, but now _certainly_ wasn't the time to try and answer it. The four-tailed monkey let out a roar of challenge, followed by a wave of green fire thicker than two of Konoha's giant trees put together. Naruto leaned forward, and Susanoo's skeletal torso mirrored the motion, so that the fire impacted at an angle and went down towards the ground rather than up into the clay-covered treetops.

Although Naruto had been told that Susanoo was practically invulnerable, it seemed that an incomplete manifestation was less so – or perhaps the unbridled power of a Tailed Beast was simply too great for any defense to turn aside unscathed. Roshi's green fire ate into the ribcage of Naruto's Susanoo, and when the attack finally subsided, it looked like the giant guardian's bones had been dipped in a powerful acid. A few more attacks like that and Naruto's technique wouldn't be able to hold up.

This was the first time Naruto had ever successfully summoned Susanoo's ribcage, but it was clear that wasn't going to be enough. If he wanted to save his own life, to save his friends, he was going to have to push his ability farther than he ever had before. Naruto grabbed hold of his chakra once again, a little frightened by how quickly it dwindled while sustaining Susanoo. He pushed out even more power, focusing on a picture in his mind. He gave a primal roar, and then, near the top left side of his guardian's ribcage, an arm began to grow.

A band of blue chakra formed around the wrist, darker than the rest of Susanoo's torso and solid instead of translucent. It grew along the length of Susanoo's newly sprouted arm, and solidified further until it was recognizable as a shield of pure indigo chakra, larger than a house and studded with giant, war-like spikes. The one-armed guardian extended its shield, and this time when Roshi spewed forth green fire, it impacted Naruto's defense and splashed harmlessly to either side. Safe inside Susanoo's ribcage, Naruto gave a little cheer. "Go, my badass guardian! Kick some monkey butt!"

Roshi spoke for the first time since entering his Tailed Beast form. The ape's voice resounded in the air and echoed off the trees like thunder. "Very impressive, young one. When I deduced that someone had sealed away your ability to draw out your host's power, I feared that this battle would do no credit to either of us. But you make your ancestors proud."

"I'd rather make _you_ dead!" Naruto replied, and charged. His guardian might only have one arm, but a shield could be a weapon, too. "_Susanoo Shield Bash!_" Naruto wondered briefly if he'd lose style points for giving his newly improvised jutsu such terrible names. Good thing there wasn't anyone else around to judge him.

His Susanoo lowered its shoulder and pushed ahead with the shield like it was a battering ram, trying to impale Roshi on its spikes. Instead, his opponent merely grabbed two spikes with its impossibly large hands, and his four tails whipped forward to secure a hold on more of the spikes. Muscles bulged under Roshi's red fur, and a colossal vein twinged in his neck. Naruto strained with all his might, knowing that it was his own willpower that would determine whether his Susanoo could win this grappling match.

"You just made a grave mistake," Roshi said through gritted teeth. "You should never have closed with me after withstanding a single attack. Not all of my techniques are as easy to block as that one, and now you're too close to dodge."

Naruto would have answered, but he was distracted by the sight of two rock golems who were suddenly clinging to the inside of his guardian's shield. It was Akemi and Takeshi – they must have tunneled under the ground to get inside his Susanoo, and then used the Body-Flicker jutsu to reach the crosspiece of the shield. With their rock armor, his teammates were fully seven feet tall, but they looked like ants clinging to the colossal shield. Takeshi waved one arm at Naruto, miming a specific motion. Naruto realized immediately what they wanted him to do, but he didn't respond with any overt motion because he didn't want to warn Roshi.

The Iwa shinobi made his move then, releasing his grip on the shield's spikes and taking a single step back. "_Flower-Fruit Mountain!_"

Lava bubbled up from the ground around him, hotter and more powerful than anything Naruto had encountered yet. Naruto didn't wait for the explosion that was surely coming any second now. He charged again with his shield, directly into the glowing plume of lava. All sound was erased by a tremendous _hiss_ as his Susanoo thrust its weapon into the bubbling lava, and the ghostly flesh of its arm holding the shield began to melt from the residual heat. But Naruto pushed forward, exactly as Takeshi had instructed him, his shield carving a path through to Roshi.

And then, incredibly, like two suicidal lemurs casting themselves into the heart of a volcano, Akemi and Takeshi leaped up and over the edge of the shield, jumping until they were at eye level with Roshi's Tailed Beast form.

A second later, Naruto knew that their plan had succeeded. The bubbling lava did not explode outward with deadly force, shredding his Susanoo's ribcage and boiling him into nothingness. Instead, it sank back into the ground whence it came. And the giant, four-tailed ape was gone. In its place was Roshi, whose face, for the first time, displayed something other than calm stoicism: utter surprise. Naruto had to say he felt the same. He had not expected the chakra suppression to be quite _that_ effective.

"It worked!" Takeshi called out, allowing his rock-armor jutsu to lapse. "I thought it might."

"We each focused our genjutsu through one of his eyes," Akemi explained. "It was kind of like sealing a broken dam from both ends – we met in the middle. Took us a while to figure out how to do it, though."

"I can barely feel my demon," said Roshi, more than a little wonder in his voice. "I cannot even summon my Lava Release Armor…"

"It's over, old man!" Naruto called out, raising Susanoo's shield high overhead. "Surrender, and I'll let you live. Consider it a token of my respect for a fellow jinchuuriki."

"You three have fought well," Roshi allowed. "But you are still about to die."

"How do you figure?" Akemi demanded, panting slightly after expending so much chakra. "You're done, old man. Sealed, tagged, and bagged. It's over."

Roshi shook his head, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "The shinobi of Iwagakure are known for two skills. The first is Earth Release. The second is our proficiency with explosions. Deidara is perhaps the best explosives expert ever to come from our village, but he is by no means the only one. All high level jounin are required to learn a self-destruction technique that releases all of our chakra in one last, supercharged explosion, so that if we are ever captured we have the chance to take our opponents with us to the afterlife. When I gained control of my Tailed Beast, I learned an even more potent technique, just in case anyone ever managed to capture me alive. The force of my chakra coils imploding will rip apart the Seal keeping my demon constrained, draw out every ounce of its power, and kill us both in an explosion that will level this entire Forest. I want you to know I regret this… but there was never any choice. A shinobi who does not fulfill his duty is no shinobi at all, merely a bandit with chakra. Farewell…"

Naruto tried to bring Susanoo's shield down upon the redhaired jinchuuriki, but it was repelled by a translucent shield that erupted around him. Inside the shield Roshi began to glow golden, brighter than the sun at midday.

"What do we do?" Akemi yelled, watching as the very earth underneath the old man's feet began to crack and quiver. "Once he explodes, all the clay in the Forest will explode too. Forget about us – that blast would level half of Konoha!"

Naruto was out of answers. His Susanoo was becoming weaker by the second, and he simply didn't have enough chakra left to try manifesting a more solid form. Without the Kyuubi's chakra to draw on, he was at his limit. His Mangekyou sharingan couldn't penetrate that glowing dome. Despair threatened to engulf Naruto as he thought that, once again, he had failed to act in time. Why was it that innocent people always seemed to suffer the consequences of his failures?!

"I have an idea!" Takeshi shouted. His hands flashed in a series of signs, though he didn't shape any chakra. "Can you repeat that, Akemi? It creates a stone tower shaped like a honeycomb – I copied it from Suzumebachi earlier. You need to pour as much power into one as you can. The stone tower has to rise above the treetops."

Akemi nodded fervently. "I can do that. Are you sure it will be enough to contain the explosion?"

"Not on its own," Takeshi shook his head. "But that's not all we're gonna do."

He explained the rest of his plan as quickly as he could – all the while, Roshi glowed brighter, until he was no longer recognizable as a person, just a blinding ball of light. Naruto and Akemi sprang into action, following Takeshi's instructions. Naruto directed Susanoo as best he could, commanding the guardian to swing his shield in a tight, horizontal arc. He sliced through the trunks of the nearest trees, and pushed the severed tops aside with a mighty heave. The _crash_ as they fell seemed to shake the world to its foundations.

With those trees cut down, a section of the Forest now opened to the sun. Yellow rays shone down in force, yet paled in comparison to the glowing dome around Roshi. Akemi cast Suzumebachi's jutsu, pouring every bit of chakra she could into the technique. A stone tower rose up, six thick walls around the heart of the clearing, separating the genin cutting the genin off completely from the outside world. The honeycomb tower shot up ten feet, twenty, a hundred, until it rose far above the trees. The top of the tower remained open, blue sky barely visible, like a window to another world.

Now it was Naruto's turn. He sent his Susanoo forward, away from himself. His guardian was a part of him, bound to his very essence, and forcing it away was like peeling off his own skin. But what came next was even harder.

Naruto aligned his chakra and his will for one last, all-out effort. As he commanded, his Susanoo's ribcage split open and advanced until it surrounded Roshi's defensive bubble. With a _snap_, the bones of Susanoo's ribcage closed once more, so that Naruto's guardian completely enclosed the enemy jinchuuriki.

Takeshi shared one last, brief handclasp with Naruto and Akemi, then tossed a trio of food pills to Hinamaru. "This is it, little buddy. Didn't think we'd have to use this technique so soon. _Two-Headed Wolf!_"

Takeshi and Hinamaru seemed to fuse before Naruto's eyes, swirling together until they became a fourteen-foot wolf with two heads. The majestic animal blurred into motion, faster even than a shinobi using the Body-Flicker jutsu, becoming nothing more than a white streak circling the monstrous form of Susanoo. Takeshi's technique, the most powerful one he had ever used, kicked up currents of wind and chakra that became a swirling vortex raging around Naruto's Susanoo. Slowly but surely, the giant guardian began to spin as well, faster and faster until it matched the speed that Takeshi and Hinamaru set with their supercharged Gatsuuga.

It truly was a tremendous sight – the tornado raged white and furious in the middle of the tower, with a brilliant blue core that was Naruto's spinning Susanoo. Inside of both was the golden glow of Roshi's last technique, which continued to become brighter until Naruto and Akemi had to cover their eyes and back away.

The moment of the final explosion was impossible to miss. Golden light obliterated everything, so bright that Naruto's hands and eyelids might as well have been translucent paper. His retinas burned white-hot and he thought the light would burn up the rest of him too, char his flesh and bones until nothing remained… but the light faded, and he was still alive.

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, blinking multiple times in a vain effort to clear the spots in his vision. An outstretched hand found his shoulder, and Akemi clung to him for support. They tottered forward as fast as they could, searching for Takeshi.

Naruto's Susanoo was gone, obliterated as surely as if it had never existed. A shallow crater lay in the very center of the stone tower, perfectly spherical and glassy smooth. In the heart of the crater Takeshi lay flat on his back, eyes closed, with Hinamaru clutched in his arms.

"Takeshi!"

Akemi leapt to the motionless boy's side, a brittle, almost hysterical edge in her voice. "Wake up!" She shook him, gently at first, then not gently at all. "Damn you, wake up!"

There was a little whimper, and Hinamaru raised his head a fraction. The loyal hound licked Akemi's hand. Naruto's breath caught. Then Takeshi jerked upright, a bubble of blood escaping from his lips. He drew a deep, desperate breath.

"Takeshi!" Akemi wrapped her arms around him, drawing grunts of pain from both Takeshi and Hinamaru – the ninja hound was crushed between them. Akemi drew back, embarrassed. "Sorry," she muttered.

Naruto laughed wholeheartedly, and jumped into the crater next to his teammates. "It worked," Takeshi whispered. "Susanoo alone couldn't contain the blast. But with it spinning in the heart of the vortex, the force of the blast was directed upward instead of outward. I don't think there's a single person on this continent who didn't see that column of light. Villagers will talk about this for generations – the night a spear of light stabbed the heavens."

Takeshi opened his eyes, and Naruto gasped in shock. His teammate's eyes were not sharingan red, nor black as they should have been once he deactivated his doujutsu. They were a deep, burnished gold, as if they had absorbed Roshi's light and become saturated with it. Somehow, Naruto knew instinctively that those golden eyes couldn't see a thing.

"What happened?" Akemi asked, her voice low, reverent.

"We had to keep our eyes open to align our technique with Susanoo," Takeshi explained, petting Hinamaru gently. The hound opened his eyes, which were the same golden sheen as his master's. "Nothing to piss on, so we couldn't use scent to guide our path like we normally would. Maybe you should think about that next time you manifest Susanoo, Naruto," Takeshi added, with an attempt at a laugh that gripped Naruto's heart like a vice.

"Anyway," he went on, "Susanoo's rotation contained and redirected the force of the explosion, but I guess we were just too close to the source of the light. Don't worry too much about us, guys. We Inuzuka have always relied on our sense of smell more than our eyes… Hinamaru and I will be just fine."

But Naruto did not miss the quaver in his voice. Takeshi said, "We Inuzuka," not "we Uchiha" – maybe he thought that he would be kicked out of the clan, now that his sharingan had seemingly been burned out of existence.

Naruto curled his lip. That was never going to happen, not if one Uchiha Naruto had anything to say about it.

"You're damn right you'll be fine," Naruto said loudly, clapping his hand on Takeshi's shoulder. "Eyes aren't all that special. Hell, I've got two, and that's more than I need. Maybe we'll see about a little transplant once we get back to the village."

Takeshi's voice rose in protest, but Naruto cut him off. "Shut yer yap, Takeshi!" he said, but his voice still overflowed with joy and relief. "That's an order. We won't discuss that until after we get out of this damned forest. Understood?"

Takeshi looked like he wanted to argue more, but all he said was, "Yes, sir."

"You know," Akemi observed archly, "your new eyes aren't that bad. Distinguished, even. And considering we just took out a veteran jinchuuriki with more experience than the three of us put together, maybe we all got off lightly."

Naruto had to laugh at that. In addition to being blinded, Takeshi and Hinamaru were covered in at least second-degree burns from the last vestiges of Roshi's explosion after it had incinerated Naruto's Susanoo. Akemi's body was wracked with shivers that indicated the first stage of acute chakra exhaustion, and as for himself… Naruto licked his lips, surprised by the salty tang. His eyes must have started bleeding from the strain of using Susanoo for so long, and he hadn't even noticed. Tears of blood traced their way down his cheeks. If this was getting off "lightly," he didn't want to see heavy.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "that was easy. Let's do it again."

Their laughter was ragged and uneven, but it felt good. They all needed to release some tension.

"I'll tell you something that I promise will make you feel better," Takeshi added.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

The half-blood cracked a wide grin, then winced at the pain it caused. "Remember that hostage I had when you joined us? I didn't mention it at the time, because we were fighting for our lives and all, but I swiped a couple of things from her belt pouch. Check this out."

He reached both hands into his own belt pouch, and tossed two cylindrical objects through the air, one to Naruto and one to Akemi. Naruto laughed like a maniac when he recognized the object he held. It was a Heaven scroll.

"An Earth scroll," Akemi crowed, holding hers up. "Nice!"

"Looks like Katsumi wasn't taking any chances," Takeshi said happily. "Maybe she wasn't sure if she would find us in the Forest, and wanted to make sure she could advance to the next round if it became necessary."

Naruto nodded judiciously. "Or maybe they just ran into another team and didn't feel like wasting the scroll after pummeling the poor bastards. Either way… we're good to go!"

He surveyed his team, nearly choking with pride. One was blind, one in the grip of chakra exhaustion, and one bleeding from the eyes and almost as low on chakra… but they were still alive. Still fighting. This Exam wasn't over yet.

oOoOo

Naruto's team made it to the Tower in the center of the Forest without meeting any more enemies, but along the way they did have one encounter that disturbed them profoundly. They had been working their way through the underbrush, moving as silently as they knew how. Naruto's chakra was returning in little trickles, and he had worked some elementary healing jutsu to soothe Takeshi's burns and take the edge off the symptoms of Akemi's chakra exhaustion. They were certainly in no condition to fight another strong team, but they could sneak and run and hide – the true skills of the shinobi.

Takeshi warned them that they were approaching dead bodies, and he hesitated a moment before adding, "It's Genji's team."

Naruto and Akemi gasped. Genji had been a strong Cadet, probably even the strongest after Naruto. It would have taken a shinobi of extraordinary ability to bring his team down. Of course, Naruto reflected bitterly, there were more than a few shinobi of above-genin caliber running around the Forest of Death. The Oto team, for example, wouldn't have had much trouble killing the Uchiha Cadets.

After some hard thought, Naruto ordered his team to approach the killing ground. They stayed alert for a trap, but nothing was lying in wait except the corpses of their comrades. It was a horrible sight – they were suspended from a low-hanging tree branch by braided ropes, their faces swollen and empurpled. A message was carved in the trunk of the tree from which the Cadets had been hanged.

It read: "_Policemen should uphold the law, not abuse it. What you see here is the hand of justice._"

Naruto froze, a memory from two years ago flashing up in his mind. He saw Genji grabbing Hinata, his ugly features twisting into a lecherous grin… Naruto shook his head, trying to dispel the image. The message could not possibly refer to that – the only people present at that ghastly scene were himself, Hinata… and Neji's team.

Could this be Neji's work? Naruto wasn't sure. The genius Hyuuga certainly nursed a hatred for the Uchiha… but Naruto could have sworn that he had earned at least some measure of trust by saving Tenten's life from Hidan. Naruto pursed his lips worriedly. Another possibility was that Genji had committed some terrible act while on border duty, and earned the enmity of one of the genin teams that had entered the Exams. A nasty, but practical part of Naruto's mind insisted that knowing Genji, it was certainly possible.

He sincerely hoped that it wasn't Neji who had decided to take justice into his own hands. Naruto wanted to improve relations between the Uchiha and the rest of the Konoha shinobi – vigilante killing sprees were not the way to accomplish that, and neither were the measures that Naruto would be forced to take in response to the murder of three Uchiha.

_But if Genji and his team were actually guilty of crimes like the one you once saw him try to commit, _said a insistent voice in Naruto's head,_ then he deserved to die_._ Shinobi who bully or molest the weak should be imprisoned or killed – our duty is to protect the village, not to abuse our power._

Still, Genji and his teammates were Uchiha, and if he had committed a crime, then it was the responsibility of the Uchiha clan to punish him, not some foreign genin.

"Let's cut them down," Naruto said curtly, trying in vain to still the debate raging in his mind. "We'll bring them to the Tower with us, so they can be buried in the clan graveyard. Whether the message on the tree is true or not, their bodies should rest with the clan."

"Who could have done this?" Akemi asked, her voice tight with rage and confusion.

"I have no idea," Naruto replied, though he had many ideas – that was the problem.

_I'm going to figure out who did this, _Naruto promised himself._ But something tells me this is just the beginning._


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: **It's never easy to admit when you're wrong. Luckily, I'm wrong a lot of the time, so I've had a little practice. To stop dancing around the issue, I've decided that **Lizonjoe**and several other reviewers were right when they argued that Naruto went down too easily in his fight against Kimimaro in **Chapter 35**. After taking a long look at my reasons for making the scene that way, I realized that if I was going to make Naruto stay true to his character, I needed to rewrite the fight. So I did.

If you go back to Chapter 35, you'll find a completely revamped fight between Team Naruto and Team Kimimaro. Naruto still gets Sealed by Kabuto in the end, but the road to that outcome is a hell of a lot bumpier, and – I hope – more realistic given the characters involved. As a teaser of sorts to encourage you to go back and read the new version, I'll just say that Kabuto decides to recruit a little help from beyond the grave.

Before I go on, I'd just like to thank all of you for your feedback, especially when it comes in the form of thoughtful criticism. I _do_ pay attention to what you have to say, and I want you to know I'm trying my best to make this story as good as it can be.

Back to business. As far as this chapter is concerned, a fight ran long so I decided to split it down the middle and post the rest soon. This time you get a smallish battle and a few cute moments courtesy of Team Neji. Next time you'll get a king-sized slugfest between the Sword-Slinging Bad Boys of Kiri and a few badasses from Kumo – get pumped. After that, we'll see what happens when Sandstorm runs afoul of Kimimaro, and then it's on to the Prelims. Stay with me folks, 'cause it's about to get crazy in Konoha.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 37**

Neji, Tenten, and Lee made it through the first day in Deidara's Forest of Death without running into another living soul. They planned it that way, using Neji's byakugan to lead them deeper into the Forest while avoiding enemy teams. By the evening they were far enough in that when Neji focused his byakugan directly ahead, he could just make out the monolithic Tower that was their goal. The three Sealed shinobi decided to stay put for the night, taking turns standing guard. In the morning they would continue on, and search for a weak-looking team close to the Tower. They should have guessed that it wouldn't be that easy.

Several minutes after leaving their makeshift camp, Neji announced that a team was waiting further on, directly between them and the Tower.

"Should we go around them?" Tenten asked reasonably. "We're still far from the Tower – if we get drawn into a long fight out here, we might attract attention. I don't know about you, but my weekend plans don't include getting blown to pieces by clay spiders."

"You nag like an old woman, Tenten!" Lee chided. "Where is your Youthful spirit? Let's show this team the power of Konoha! We'll vanquish them swiftly, and so silently that Deidara's pets will think us a light summer breeze!"

Tenten kicked him in the shin. "Idiot. Discretion is the better part of valor, don't you know that? Let's not fight if we don't have to."

Lee jerked back in horror, clapping his hands over his ears. "Not figh- not… Tenten, don't _say_ such things!"

"I don't think we have a choice," Neji said quietly, bringing his teammates' comfortable banter to an abrupt end. "They're not moving, and there aren't any other teams close by. They're waiting – maybe not specifically for us, but they've definitely sensed us. As much as it pains me to say it, Lee's right. Sneaking isn't an option, so we need to end this as quickly as possible. Weapons out. Lee, you take point."

Tenten unrolled a storage scroll and unsealed a wicked-looking spiked ball attached to a metal handle with a short chain. She spun it in a tight arc above her head, faster and faster, until the weapon became a silver blur. "I've been meaning to try this out," she said, relishing the ominous _thrum_ of the chain whipping through the air.

Lee led the team, clacking his tonfa together as he went. He held the wooden weapons flat against his forearms, where they looked deceptively innocent, more like a policeman's baton than a shinobi's weapon. But Neji knew that Lee's tonfa actually contained metal cores, making them a match for edged weapons like swords and spears. Neji had seen what happened to human bones that got in the way of Lee's favored weapons – it wasn't pretty.

As for Neji himself, aside from a set of shinobi tools in his belt pouch, he had no weapons save his bare hands. Those were the only weapons a true Hyuuga needed.

Since both teams knew the other was there, neither side bothered wasting time with diversion tactics. Lee was the first to burst out of the undergrowth, Neji and Tenten close on his heels in a triangle formation. Their opponents were waiting for them all in a row, relaxed and calm, as though they were merely out for a morning walk in the Forest of Death.

The enemy squad's hitai-ite proclaimed their allegiance to Kumogakure. In contrast to most shinobi teams that Neji had seen, this one had two kunoichi and only one male shinobi. The man had spiky white hair made even more striking by his dark skin, and wore a thoughtful expression that was diminished somewhat by the fact that he was also sucking on a lollipop.

The kunoichi to his left was dark-skinned and wore her red hair long. Her eyes were a deep, arresting amber color, and together with her lithe, graceful form they suggested a powerful feline predator, like a jungle cat or a mountain lion.

With her pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, the second kunoichi could not have looked more different from her partner. She wore her tunic cut low, revealing sizable cleavage and mesh body armor, and had red arm-warmers and high boots.

All three Kumo shinobi had swords strapped to their backs, though none had yet been drawn.

"Looks like C was right, Karui," the man said slowly. "And you doubted him."

"Shut up, Omoi!" the red-haired woman snapped, glaring at her teammate. "I just asked him if he was sure he could tell a Hyuuga's chakra from another shinobi's. It was a perfectly reasonable question."

"Sorry to interrupt," Neji spoke up. "But if you're just going to argue all day, we'll be moving on."

"Not cool, handsome," said the blonde kunoichi. "Afraid we can't let you do that. Have to cut out your eyes first."

"Excuse you?" Tenten demanded, outraged. "_What_ did you say?!"

"You're doing it wrong, Samui," said the male shinobi. "They don't even know who we are yet."

"Your teammate is right," Neji drawled. "I believe it's customary to introduce yourself _before_ gouging out valuable body parts."

The leader of the enemy squad shrugged with perfect equanimity. "No skin off my nose. I'm Samui of Kumogakure, and these two are Karui and Omoi. Nothing personal, but we have standing orders to bring back a byakugan eye if the opportunity arises."

Neji bared his teeth in a feral grin, welcoming the coming fight. Lately he had been experiencing strange doubts and unfamiliar emotions – mostly to do with Naruto. Neji owed him a debt, and worse, he even thought he might be starting to respect the bullheaded blond. It was hard to reconcile that with Neji's knowledge of the upcoming war. They would be on opposite sides of a battlefield then, where there was little room for things like mutual respect or debts of honor.

It would be a great pleasure indeed to fight without moral confusion clouding his normally clear judgment. These Kumo shinobi were strangers who wanted to kill him, and that made matters beautifully simple. Neji liked simple.

It didn't matter how skilled these Kumo shinobi were – today they were messing with the wrong Hyuuga. "It looks like the opportunity just arose," he said, speaking softly but enunciating each word clearly. "I have to thank you. I've been in a shitty mood today, and I think this is exactly what I need."

Tenten barked a short laugh. "Are you kidding? You've been in a shitty mood since the day you were born."

Neji grunted. "Fair point."

Samui and her teammates drew their swords. They wielded matching katana with checkered hilts, and held them in a way that suggested they knew how to use them.

"It's too bad there's all this explosive clay overhead," Samui lamented. "Otherwise we could show you some seriously cool lightning combination jutsu."

Tenten started whirling her chain mace, knees bent in a ready stance. "Maybe next time."

Neji began the fight by throwing a brace of shuriken. He didn't expect any to land, but he wanted to gauge the speed of his opponents. The result was pretty much what he expected – they were fast. Very fast. Even with his byakugan, Neji found it difficult to follow the swords as they flashed around in a tight arc, deflecting the shuriken with contemptuous ease.

"Samui, you take the Hyuuga," Karui called out. "Omoi and I will handle the small fry."

Samui eyed Neji appraisingly. "Cool." Then she disappeared, and Neji had just enough time to wonder if she knew about the byakugan's blind spot before she reappeared to his right, slashing out horizontally. Neji could have dodged, but he wanted to send a more emphatic message.

"_Heavenly Rotation!_"

The swirling chakra erupting from his tenketsu ripped the sword right out of Samui's hands and sent it flying. A second later the force of the rotation reached her as well. She crossed her arms and absorbed most of the impact, but it still sent her skidding back several feet. She jumped back and snatched her sword out of the air, landing on the balls of her feet.

"You almost made me drop my sword," she drawled. "Not bad."

In answer, Neji just assumed the ready stance of the Gentle Fist style, extended his hand, and crooked his fingers. _Bring it._

Meanwhile, Tenten and Lee were taking the fight to Karui and Omoi. Tenten swung her chain mace in wide, vicious arcs, hoping to catch even a glancing hit on either Kumo shinobi. Those swords would snap like twigs if they came in contact with the hardened steel of her weapon. Unfortunately, her opponents were extremely fast, and avoided her opening blows with ease.

They leaped to opposite sides and swooped in for a coordinated attack. Tenten whirled and jerked her weapon back through the air, making Omoi jump away. She left herself completely open to Karui's strike, trusting that Lee would have her back. Sure enough, he appeared like a green wraith between her and Karui, turning aside three lightning-fast strikes with his tonfa. The two continued to trade blows, generating a shower of sparks in the air around them, while Tenten took off after Omoi.

"That weapon is powerful," Omoi allowed, turning to face her. "But slow." He performed a series of seals that Tenten recognized from sparring with Naruto after the mission to Ame – it was the Shadow Clone jutsu. Three clones of Omoi appeared around Tenten, so that she was cut off on all four sides. They charged her, swords raised.

Tenten lashed out with the chain mace and whirled in a circle, activating one of the buttons built in to her weapon's handle. This one allowed more of the chain to extend from its Sealed container at the end of the handle, effectively increasing her destructive range. Omoi and his clones hadn't been expecting her attack until they were closer, so they couldn't dodge in time. The wicked spikes sliced flesh and the metal ball broke bones before the shadow clones dispelled. Tenten waited to see which one _didn't_ disappear, confident that Omoi wouldn't keep fighting after that hit – but all four figures vanished with a puff of smoke.

_Shit, _Tenten thought, _they were all shadow clones? Where's the real one?_

She looked up, and sure enough, Omoi was dropping from a tree branch overhead, sword outstretched in a beheading cut. Tenten had no time to complete her follow-through – she would have to drop her weapon and try to evade, but even that was unlikely to work.

A blessedly familiar green shape blurred into being between them. Lee caught the blow meant for Tenten, and the two men landed in a stalemate, each pushing against the other with all his might. From the Lee's red face and the veins sticking out around his eyes, Tenten knew that her teammate had been forced to activate the First Celestial Gate.

Tenten cursed silently. Now they were on the clock. Of course, with clay spiders massing in the trees, drawn by the sound of fighting, time had been running out ever since the fight began. Lee was smart to draw on more power.

Tenten saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye and reacted instantly, sending her chain mace out to Lee's right. Karui was forced to change direction mid-jump, pulling on a ninja wire spooling out behind her. She dropped to the ground, avoiding a metal spike by the width of a hair.

That was when Tenten activated a second hidden button on her weapon's wooden handle, which detached the spikes on her chain mace and sent them shooting away in every direction. Karui escaped with just a scratch along her arm, but Omoi was locked in a contest of strength with Lee, and so took a spike in his right calf and his left shoulder.

Lee disengaged, jumping away from Omoi and landing next to Tenten. "You two fight well together," Omoi observed, his injuries seeming to affect him not at all. "You are very young, but your teamwork belongs to shinobi beyond your years."

Tenten smiled, thinking of all the close scrapes she'd survived over the years because of Lee. They understood each other, and coordinated on the battlefield like members of the Yamanaka clan, only without the telepathy.

"We were taught friendship and teamwork by Guy-sensei," Lee declared, so loudly that Tenten winced, worried about him spooking Deidara's creatures, more of which were gathering in the trees above. "We will never lose sight of the youthful values he instilled in us!"

"Might Guy," Karui murmured while glancing around to gauge the proximity of the deadly clay creatures. "Konoha's so-called Beautiful Green Beast... we're not impressed, Eyebrows. We trained under Killer Bee, Kumo's strongest shinobi after the Raikage himself."

"Guy-sensei could squash your bee without thinking twice!" Lee shouted, his face even redder than opening the First Gate could account for. "Guy-sensei! I will defend your honor!" He would have been completely absurd, if not for the intensified green aura and the surge of killing intent that accompanied the opening of the Second Gate.

Omoi's eyes widened, a surprising show of emotion from the placid shinobi. He looked at Tenten and gestured with his lollipop at Lee. "Is he always like this?"

Tenten hefted her chain mace and sighed. "Pretty much."

Over fifty yards away, Neji and Samui were locked in a duel that raged across the forest floor, and even ranged up and down the trunks of Deidara's clay-covered trees. Samui knew that Neji's ultimate defense gave him an advantage on open ground, so she stayed close to the trees to limit his options. His rotation might be powerful, but it wouldn't do much if he set off one of Deidara's large-scale explosions.

But a Hyuuga was never out of the fight when it came to taijutsu, even if the enemy was wielding a sword. With Neji's byakugan eyes he was able to track Samui's attacks, no matter how well she disguised her approach. Each time, he met her with a barrage of Vacuum Palm strikes, which generated an all-but-invisible wave of energy that inflicted massive physical damage when it connected. It worked according to the same basic principle as his Heavenly Rotation technique, but shaped the released chakra and focused it in a single direction.

Samui thus far had been unable to close with him, having to redirect her strikes in order to avoid losing her sword after getting hit by one of Neji's attacks. Neji felt reasonably secure that his defense was solid, but simply playing defense wasn't going to end this fight quickly enough.

The next time Samui approached him, she used a series of Body-Flicker jutsu to appear as though she were attacking from four directions at once. She was fast enough that her after-images were almost solid enough to fool his byakugan – the key word was almost. He was ready for her, and this time he set himself in a solid stance, knees bent for stability and power, and pushed out with both palms at once.

"_Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm!_" The super-charged vacuum palm strike left his hands like a blade of wind, making direct contact with Samui's sword. The blade shattered into a hundred metal slivers, most of which bit deep into Samui's body as they were rocketed backward by the force of Neji's strike. Samui managed to raise one arm in time to protect her face, but in that moment she sacrificed her field of vision to save her eyesight.

That was the only opening Neji needed. His first jyuuken strike drove the breath out of Samui's lungs, brought her to her knees, and closed the first of her tenketsu. The next seven strikes disabled her limbs and locked her neck in place. The final eight strikes knocked her unconscious. Neji had neither the need nor the time to complete all sixty-four jyuuken strikes of his favorite technique, although he realized that he was probably losing style points by stopping in the middle.

Neji went to see how his teammates were faring. They had drawn first blood, but Karui and Omoi were still more than capable of fighting back. Neji could see the clay creatures massing in the branches above – this needed to end _now_.

"_Tenten! Lee!_" he called out. "Use the Hurricane of Steel!"

Tenten stared at him. "Are you serious? But Lee will-"

Lee cut her off with a joyful laugh. "-will what, Tenten? Be overjoyed to help my teammates? Of _course_ I will!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "It's your funeral." Only her worried tone made her words seem more than an expression.

She unrolled the largest scroll that she carried in a sling on her back, and leaped high into the air. All of the weapons she had sealed into the scroll, countless hundreds of them, burst into existence all around the clearing. They formed an impenetrable barrier of steel around Karui, Omoi – and Lee. The taijutsu specialist faced the Kumo shinobi without a hint of fear.

"You think this is enough to scare us?" Karui demanded scornfully, fending off a questing spear with a firm strike from her katana. "We're faster than you, girl, and you know it. No matter how many blades you make dance, they'll never touch us."

Tenten made her weapons begin to rotate, sweeping in a wide circle and darting in to attack the Kumo shinobi before continuing around. Karui had spoken true: fighting back-to-back with Omoi, she wove an impenetrable defense against the ever-tightening vortex of steel.

"You're faster than me," Tenten muttered, not trying to raise her voice above the cacophony of metal against metal. "But are you faster than Lee?"

The green-clad genin danced around the Kumo shinobi, drawing on all the speed granted by two the Celestial Gates, harassing them like a wolf nipping at a deer's heels. All the while the weapons drew closer, contracting the space in the center, until there were only a few square paces left. Tenten could see when the weapons started to draw blood, and Lee was the first to bleed.

In his all-out drive to get past his opponents' defenses, he left himself open to the spinning blades. That was the danger of this technique, and Lee was perhaps the only person besides Might Guy who could withstand it. Thanks to the inhuman levels of strength and energy granted by the Second Gate, Lee could ignore wounds that would bring an ordinary person to their knees.

From quick glimpses through the hedge of flashing steel, Tenten could see that their strategy was working. Omoi and Karui could not defend themselves against Lee _and_ the spinning vortex of Tenten's weapons. They had to choose, and soon they were bleeding freely.

Tenten nodded. It was time. She brought her arms out, still suspended in midair above the battlefield, and brought her will to bear on the flying weapons. They contracted even more, until swords, knives, and even more outlandish weapons were locked together in a solid cylinder of steel, barely wide enough for three people to stand side-to-side. There was nowhere to escape, either for the Kumo shinobi or Lee.

A green glow emerged and reflected off the metal. Tenten heaved a sigh of relief. Lee had come through. She dropped her arms, and wall of weapons dropped to the forest floor. The green glow intensified, at first obscuring what had happened to Lee and his opponents. But then three forms appeared, and one of them appeared to be beating the living hell out of the other two.

It was Lee, unveiling the full might of his Reverse Lotus Technique. He kicked Omoi and Karui higher and higher, their katana nowhere in sight, and then blurred into liquid motion to appear above them. Red skin, bulging veins and white, glaring eyes transformed him from a poorly-dressed genin into a vengeful demon.

The Reverse Lotus finished with a kick and an open-handed strike delivered at the same time, and neither Omoi nor Karui had a prayer of escaping. They went hurtling toward the ground, where a carpet of steel waited to end their suffering permanently.

To Tenten's complete surprise, Neji appeared out of nowhere, snagging the unconscious Kumo shinobi out of the air before they could be impaled by the fallen weapons.

Lee landed a second later, his knees wobbling after the strain of using the Reverse Lotus. He buckled and almost fell, but Tenten reached him in time to offer him a hand.

"Nice work, Lee," she said. He gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up and a wide grin. Tenten was horrified by the extent of the cuts all over his body, and the knowledge that most of them were her fault. She knew it had been necessary – the solid, spinning barrier of steel had kept her opponents from avoiding Lee's attack. Still, it hurt to see her teammate in so much pain. Not that Lee would ever complain. He was too youthful for that.

"So, Neji," Tenten said, turning to her team leader. "Why did you save them? No offense, but mercy isn't usually your strong suit."

Neji raised one eyebrow. "Mercy? No, I simply wanted hostages. Another team has been watching us since the fight began. I almost missed them, which means they're even better than these three. I have a hunch that one of them is the sensor nin who told Samui how to find us."

Tenten shrugged stoically. It never rained when it could pour.

"Not a bad hunch," came an unfamiliar, confident voice hidden among the trees. "But you needn't have bothered keeping Samui or her teammates alive. Kumo shinobi know the risks. We don't negotiate."

Neji shrugged. "I thought it was worth a try. Who are you three? Are you aware that you risk war with Konoha by targeting us?"

Three shinobi appeared before them, exhibiting impressive Body-Flicker jutsu – once again, Tenten didn't recognize them from the survivors of the First Round. Two men and one woman, and all of them carried the self-assurance and casual air of power that Tenten associated with experienced jounin. Were _any_ of the genin in these Exams who they appeared to be?!

The leader was a languid black man with an unruly shock of white hair. He wasn't as large as Omoi, but somehow his presence flowed beyond the limits of his frame. Somehow, and Tenten had no idea how, this shinobi managed to seem both apologetic and menacing. "I'm sorry," he began, "but I think you overestimate your worth. Madara would not risk provoking the might of Kumogakure over something so insignificant as the life of a Sealed shinobi. Does a man go to war over the death of a slave? Of course not. At most, he demands reparations, and that's only if he values what he lost. Your Hokage values the sharingan, but the byakugan? Madara thinks it a paltry ability – for a man with legendary eyes, he is surprisingly blind."

The second man of the team laughed. He had short, blond hair and brown eyes, and wore the standard red-and-white shin guards of Kumo. "Darui, you're forgetting that Madara might not even find out who killed the Hyuuga. Once these three are dead, there's no evidence that Kumo was involved in anything at all."

Darui nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, C. Do you understand, Hyuuga? Strengthening a nation is dull work, but someone's got to do it."

Neji suddenly tensed up, staring at the enemy captain with total concentration. "Darui… I know that name," he whispered, thunderstruck. "From the Bingo Book… You're the Raikage's right-hand man. Inheritor of the Third Raikage's Black Lightning."

The elite jounin smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

Tenten couldn't stay silent any more. "This is so stupid!" she yelled, drawing five pairs of eyes. "These are the _Chuunin Exams_. The purpose is to promote genin and showcase a village's future talents so that civilians know whom to hire for missions. Why are high-ranking shinobi pretending to be genin? The byakugan _can't_ be worth that much to you."

The Kumo kunoichi spoke up for the first time. She had long blonde hair pulled away from her face and secured by her forehead protector, and she wore purple fingerless gloves and bandages around her arms and legs. Her face looked like it could be kind, but now it was set in a stern and uncompromising mask. "If that's what you think, then you're truly naïve. These Exams have never been about promoting genin. The balance of power between the shinobi villages has been fragile ever since the Night of Reclamation, when Madara appeared from nowhere and established his reign. No one knew what to expect. Would he look to expand his power? Were we about to see a war? For years we all waited, wondering, consolidating our forces… nothing. Now there has been another revolution in Kiri, and we receive word that Konoha has allied with Ame. Loyalties are shifting, and the world realigns. These Exams represent the first gathering of the major villages in almost ten years. Every Kage will have sent agents to learn which way the wind blows, some disguised as genin, some testing the extent of Madara's security. One way or another, after these Exams, the shape of future events will become clear."

The blond man known as C rolled his eyes expressively. "Thanks for the lesson on international politics, Yugito. Honestly, it feels like I'm a chuunin again, forced to attend your lectures."

"Learning never stops, C," Yugito told him severely. "A shinobi who thinks he's learned enough is already dead."

"Yeah, yeah," C drawled. "But you forgot something. Madara made it clear from the beginning that he was entering his son in the tournament. The jinchuuriki. The major villages weren't about to take that lying down – no regular genin has a prayer of beating a jinchuuriki. Madara knew the moment he sent those invitations that he was issuing a challenge. He knew the other Kages would send ringers – shit, he _wanted_ it that way. Wants to see how his pet Nine-Tails stacks up against the big dogs, in an arena that he can at least partially control."

Yugito grinned at the younger man. "See? You _were_ listening!"

Tenten snorted angrily. "And this has to do with Neji's byakugan how?"

C shrugged. "It doesn't. But A is still pissed about our Head Shinobi's death in that disastrous kidnapping attempt years ago. He wanted Hyuuga Hiashi's head on a platter, and instead he got some worthless Branch family twin. That's why all Kumo shinobi have standing orders to secure a byakugan eye if they have the chance. And since we were already infiltrating the Exams, Darui figured we should kill two birds with one stone. I thought Samui's team would get the job done, but it's no problem – this way I get to have some fun, too."

Tenten could see Neji's knuckles whiten, and winced. C had insulted Neji's father, and that, Tenten knew, was _never_ a good idea.

"You'll have to carve it out of my skull," Neji growled, rage boiling from him like a force of nature.

C shrugged. "Of course we will. And you have to be alive while we do it, otherwise your Seal will activate and destroy your byakugan. Don't worry, we've been fully briefed. I'm a fairly decent medic, so don't worry – it won't hurt _that_ much."

Darui bowed his head, his eyes sad. "I'm sorry," he said. "But orders are orders."

Suddenly there was an explosion of chakra that drew everyone's attention. It was Lee – the brave fool, already exhausted from opening three of the Celestial Gates to finish off Karui and Omoi, had unlocked yet another. He was sacrificing his very life, thirty seconds at a time.

"Neji," Lee said, his voice crackling with raw power. "Can we defeat these guys?"

Neji gritted his teeth, the veins around his eyes bulging, but he couldn't lie to his friend. "Probably not. Darui is probably as strong as Gai… and that woman has two kinds of chakra. I think she's a jinchuuriki like Naruto. The most we can hope for is to take them with us."

"So be it." Never had Lee sounded so calm, so mature, as he did then. "Neji, Tenten, I apologize for this."

"Apologize for wha-" Lee's kick knocked the wind out of her lungs and her into the air. Neji followed a second later, so that they were both rising into the air side-by-side.

"Friend Neji, I will protect your beautiful eyes!" Lee declared, jumping up behind them, surrounded by his powerful aura. "_Rock Lee Release: Tearful Roundhouse Kick of Friendship!_"

Tenten barely had time to groan before Lee's foot kicked her in the backside and drove her upward through the canopy of trees with devastating force. She and Neji sailed over the trees as if launched from a canon, propelled by their teammate's final act of friendship.

Back in the clearing, Lee turned to face the Kumo shinobi. They could only stare at him, utterly speechless. "You'll never lay a hand on my friends!" he declared. "My youthful fires will burn brightly one last time, as I open the rest of the Eight Gates and destroy you with the power of a Kage!"

"HOLD IT!" the voice didn't come from the Kumo shinobi, who were just as surprised as Lee to find that there were other shinobi around.

Three indistinct forms appeared from above, dropping down between Lee and his opponents. It was the team of Swordsmen from Kiri – their legendary swords were strapped to their backs, and blank Hunter nin masks hid their faces.

oOoOo

"How… that's impossible!" C declared, losing his cool momentarily. "I should have sensed you."

The leader of the Kiri squad, whose black hair stuck out in an unruly manner behind his mask, held out a peremptory hand. "Hold that thought." He turned to Lee. "We _would_ have let you fight it out, but if you unleash the full power of the Eight Gates, you'll take half the Forest with you. I'm not willing to die for your… um… youthful sacrifice. But I _am_ willing to fight these jokers while you make your escape. You've got about fifteen seconds left before the Fourth Gate closes – you should probably try to catch up with your friends before that happens. I've heard the aftermath of opening the Gates is nasty."

"I don't know your name, friend," said Lee, tears streaming down his face at the kindness of a stranger. "But I will never forget this! You have the undying gratitude of Rock Lee of Konoha!"

Then he was gone, leaving nothing but a ghostly afterimage in his wake. Lee's shouts drifted back into the clearing: "_Neji! Tenten! If I do not catch up to you before you hit the ground I will run four hundred laps around the Forest on my hands!_"

Yugito shook her head like an amused aunt. "Our orders aside, I'm glad we didn't have to kill that kid. He's kind of… charming."

"I still want to know how these bastards hid from me!" C shouted.

"All in good time," Uchiha Sasuke responded, grinning behind his mask. It was kind of fun winding this guy up. "Haku, would you mind taking care of Deidara's pets? With all the noise that ridiculous Sealed shinobi was making, I give it less than a minute before those spiders above our heads reach critical mass."

"Right away, Captain," Haku said, gathering his chakra. Then he let it out in one burst, unleashing his Ice Release in a wave that spread outward remorselessly. Wherever the ice came in contact with the clay creatures, it froze around them until they looked like the preserved victims of some long-ago Ice Age.

"There we are," Sasuke said with satisfaction. "Now we can have ourselves a nice, leisurely fight, as long as we keep the explosions down here on the ground floor, so to speak. Oh yes," he said, finally acknowledging C, "we used a little technique Kiri's new Head of Intelligence worked out. It completely suppresses your chakra. Almost totally useless because it basically turns a shinobi into a civilian for a while, but it _does_ come in handy if you're worried there's a sensor nin around."

Darui stretched like a cat, visibly preparing for a fight. "You may have just cost us a byakugan. I'm sorry, but you're going to pay for that. The Raikage might not be as displeased with our failure if we bring him three of the legendary Swords of the Hidden Mist."

Suigetsu drew his blade Hiramekarei, the Twinsword, and channeled a bit of chakra. The blade morphed into a shark, then a giant snake, then back again.

"You want our swords? Come and get them."

_This will be a tough fight, _Sasuke thought, surveying his opponents. _Three of Kiri's Swordsmen against a sensor-type nin, the Raikage's right-hand man, and a jinchuuriki… they'd just better have an Earth scroll!_


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: **Hello readers, reviewers, and assorted Internet trolls! A lot has happened since the last time I've updated this story. Most significantly, I tested my mettle during National Novel-Writing Month, and well… my mettle failed. Apparently my muse doesn't operate on command, and trying to put aside fanfiction for original fiction only accomplished the goal of depressing me while turning my writing into disgraceful, unreadable mush. I haven't given up on my dream of publishing a novel, but in the future, I'm definitely going to listen to my muse when it tells me to work on different ideas.

I'd also like to shamelessly plug my new story, **Reign of the Serpent**. It's a semi-dark, bittersweet (yes, I always describe my stories in terms of chocolate) epic set in an alternate version of the Harry Potter universe, and I'm trying to incorporate some of the lessons I learned while writingRise of the Uchiha.I'm only a few chapters in, but it's going to be big. If you like Harry Potter, and you like the way Rise of the Uchiha includes most of the main Naruto characters while spinning their loyalties around, then I can almost guarantee you'll like Reign.

Now on to the battle between Kiri's youngest Swordsmen and Kumo's badass bruisers, where not all is as it seems. The next chapter pits Sandstorm against Kimimaro's righteous anger, and then we move on to the Preliminaries (otherwise known as duels-on-duels-on-duels). Finally, this chapter has one movie quote and one historical reference (because hey, why not). Kudos to anyone who spots both!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 38**

The forest around Sasuke was a gallery of frozen horrors. Uncountable thousands of spiders, birds, and even squirrels were suspended in Haku's ice, the glow from their unnatural red eyes refracting through ice crystals. It was an undoubtedly eerie spectacle, but Sasuke was glad to see it. As long as Haku could neutralize Deidara's pets, they could fight freely – so long as they kept any elemental attacks below the branches of Konoha's mighty trees, which were covered in explosive clay.

Darui, C, and Yugito waited for the Swordsmen to make the first move. All three of the Kumo shinobi looked confident, almost complacent. Perhaps they had a right to be. They had age, experience, and a jinchuuriki on their side. But Sasuke and his teammates had a few tricks of their own.

"I've heard that Kumo shinobi are honorable," Sasuke called out, "but so far all I've seen from you is shameful thievery. Assassinating a fellow competitor to cut out his _eye_? How can you live with yourselves?"

C snorted in apparent disbelief. "A _Kiri_ shinobi lectures us about honor?! And a former rebel, at that. How much of your countrymen's blood did you spill during your revolution, traitor?"

If the sensor-type shinobi was trying to get under Sasuke's skin, he was going about it the wrong way. In fact, Sasuke was hard-pressed not to laugh. "Actually, it was a surprisingly bloodless revolution," he said cheerfully. "In our final assault on the city, the only casualty was Masanori the Tyrant, and I don't think he was greatly missed."

"Enough chatting," Suigetsu snarled, his sword pulsing into a dozen different deadly weapons as if it, too, couldn't restrain itself any longer.

"Any objections to one-on-one duels?" Darui asked lazily. "Believe it or not, we _do_ abide by a code of honor."

"Sounds fair," Sasuke agreed. "If we win two out of three, you give us your scroll and leave the Forest without targeting any more teams – that is, if you're still alive. If you win, you get our swords and our scroll."

Darui tossed his head, shifting the lock of white hair that covered one eye. "I like your terms. Our own little tournament, with the honor of our villages at stake. Who will be my opponent?"

Sasuke hefted the Lightning Swords Kiba, feeling the sword's own eagerness like a jolt through the hilt. "I will."

"Let me face the jinchuuriki, Captain," Haku spoke up.

_Right…_ Sasuke thought. _Out of the three of us, Haku is a jinchuuriki's apprentice and has the most experience sparring with one._

"Fine by me, Haku."

Suigetsu pointed his sword at C, his blade morphing into an enormous cobra with hood flared. "That means you're mine, pretty boy."

C, who seemed to be, like Suigetsu, the most outspoken and aggressive member of his team, replied with a suggestion that was both vulgar and anatomically impossible.

"Before we begin," Haku interjected, "there's still the chance that a particularly wild attack might detonate the explosive clay up in the trees. Are there any objections if I deal with that possibility?"

"Fine with us," said Darui. "Do as you like."

"Captain?"

When Sasuke nodded his assent, Haku made a rapid series of seals. "_Ice Release: Glacial Arena!_"

Ice flowed from him in waves, expanding until it ringed an area of about a hundred square meters, and formed a translucent dome that ended just below the first level of branches. As for the tree trunks located within the makeshift arena, Haku's ice encased them, turning them into white pillars that looked like they were holding up the gigantic dome of ice.

"Nice work, Haku," Sasuke said, impressed at how much his teammate's control had improved. He smirked at Darui, who looked almost bored, as though he fought under giant ice domes every day. "Every tournament ought to have a proper arena, don't you think?"

"Trust a Kiri shinobi to make ice sculptures when he should be fighting," was Darui's only response. "I'm sorry, but we've wasted enough time here." He freed his sword from the strap that kept it lashed to his back. It had a cleaver-like blade that was somehow folded in two, but it snapped straight as Darui swung it through the air.

By unspoken agreement Haku and Yugito moved to one end of the ice dome, and Suigetsu went with C to the other, leaving Sasuke and Darui to fight in the center.

"Let's see if you've earned the right to be called a Swordsman," said Darui. He made a one-handed seal before hefting his sword with both hands. The blade lit up with a yellow glow, the air around it crackling with electricity.

Sasuke was not impressed. "Mine do that too… and I don't need hand seals." The Lightning Swords Kiba roared to life in his hands, shooting bolts of lightning at the white-haired Kumo shinobi.

Darui dodged effortlessly, and closed the distance with Sasuke.

"You think your fold-up cleaver can match the sharpest swords in existence?" Sasuke scoffed. "Your funeral."

"You are not the only one who can enhance your sword's cutting power with lightning chakra," Darui replied, swinging his massive blade at Sasuke's neck. Sasuke parried with both swords at once, and he was still driven back two steps with the impact. Darui was _strong_, belying his slight frame and apologetic air. "A sword is only as effective as the one who wields it."

"Spare me the platitudes, old man."

The center of the dome lit up with the brilliant golden flares from their duel. Sasuke tried to bring his superior weapon into play by extending small lances of lightning with each blow, but Darui proved adept with the Body Flicker jutsu and avoided them time after time. The Kumo shinobi dictated the pace of the battle, appearing out of nowhere to slash at Sasuke, then disappearing again before Sasuke's counterattacks could catch him.

Lightning played around them with a terrible, fierce joy, while they enacted a deadly dance in the heart of the storm. Sasuke could not use his sharingan to help him intercept new attacks, but he was used to that. And Darui, unlike Itachi, did not disguise his every attack with interwoven layers of genjutsu.

"This is not a battle you can win," Darui said, pausing momentarily out of the range of Sasuke's blades. "Just as Iwa shinobi excel at Earth Release and explosions, the shinobi of Kumogakure are experts in Lightning Release and kenjutsu. You cannot match me when you fight against my strengths."

"And how do you know they're not my strengths, too?" Sasuke demanded. "Not every Kiri shinobi uses Water Release, and you _certainly_ don't have a monopoly on swordsmanship."

As if to emphasize his point, Sasuke went on the offensive. He stopped shooting lances of lightning, instead coaxing every bit of speed from his lightning-infused blades. Darui responded to the challenge, weaving an incredible defense against two swords with his one. It seemed incredible that such a large, bulky weapon could move with such liquid grace.

Despite the fury of their duel, it began to seem like a stalemate – Darui could not do more than defend, nor did he have time to escape with a Body Flicker jutsu. But no matter how hard Sasuke tried, he could not so much as scratch the Kumo jounin.

_I wouldn't mind activating the sharingan about now, _Sasuke thought ruefully. But it was too great a risk, and besides, he was just getting warmed up.

The swordsmen sprang apart, breathing heavily and regarding each other with wary respect. "You have skill," Darui acknowledged. "Yet you're too young to be so sure with a blade. How can this be?"

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "I trained under Kisame-sensei and the Mizukage himself. They're good teachers… and I'm a good student."

Of course, he had a bit of an advantage in that he could replicate a new kenjutsu technique instantly, after seeing it with his sharingan activated. When training to become Swordsmen, Sasuke and Itachi had mastered in days what it would normally take months to learn. It had frustrated Suigetsu to no end – the Hozuki clansman had spent most of his life learning the art of the sword, but Sasuke had overtaken him before long.

"As much fun as this is," – and Sasuke had to admit, it _was_ kind of fun to see how he matched up against an elite jounin of Kumo – "I think it's time to stop playing around."

He joined his two swords at the hilt, where they fused into a single weapon. Sasuke channeled his own chakra into Kiba's new form, which drank it in eagerly and demanded more.

Electricity flared from the swords and covered Sasuke like a cloak, leaving him unharmed while ramping up his reflexes. "It's not exactly sportsmanlike," said Sasuke from inside his lightning armor, "but then, neither is gouging out someone's eye."

He moved even faster than before, swinging Kiba with both hands. Darui's cleaver came up to meet it, and as they clashed Sasuke channeled a pulse of Lightning chakra through Kiba's hilt and along the blade.

White light flashed, and Darui's sword shattered into a hundred fragments, some of which bit into him as they shot away. Sasuke, protected by his lightning armor, was unharmed.

Darui leaped away, discarding the useless hilt that was all that remained of his sword. "I have never been disarmed by a swordsman other than the Third Raikage," he said slowly. "It seems the Swordsmen of the Mist deserve their reputation. But I am not done yet."

Lightning gathered around Darui, but nothing like the seething golden armor that encased Sasuke. No, this was something primal, alien, and infinitely more strange. As Darui lifted his hands, _black_ lightning erupted from him and took the shape of a huge animal that roared at Sasuke with the sound of a thunderclap.

A second more of astonishment, and then Sasuke recognized the creature.

"_Black Panther_ lightning?!" he exclaimed. "Are you _serious_?"

oOoOo

Suigetsu needed to win this fight. As the newest member of the team, he hadn't fought alongside Sasuke or Haku during the rebellion. He was untried, untested, and very likely the weak link of his team, though he hated to admit it. Sasuke could tie him in knots with his genjutsu, and the one time Suigetsu had fought Haku, the bastard had turned his entire body to ice!

Suigetsu knew he was good – damn good. He was used to being called a genius. But he was unquestionably the rookie of the newly-formed Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure, and he needed a big win to prove that he wasn't all talk. So it was just C's bad luck that he was fighting Suigetsu today, because this rookie Swordsman wasn't going to lose.

"A real man doesn't hide behind a mask, Kiri dog!" C taunted, settling into a defensive taijutsu stance. His hands were empty, so he apparently felt no need to match Suigetsu sword-to-sword. That was a smart choice – Suigetsu's Twinsword had an almost unfair advantage over mundane weapons, which couldn't morph into new shapes mid-strike. By far the best strategy was to avoid his blade entirely… not that Suigetsu was about to let that happen.

Suigetsu bared his filed teeth behind his hunter-nin mask. "Maybe I'm just not as pretty as you, Goldilocks," he said scornfully. "Besides, the real man will be the one left standing."

Suigetsu attacked first, using his clan ability to swell his right arm to four times its normal size. The increased strength allowed him to swing Hiramekarei as if it weighed no more than a toothpick, though no toothpick could sprout a covering of pure chakra shaped like a cobra as big as a horse. His sword swept toward C in a rapid arc, opening its unhinged jaws to swallow the Kumo medic-nin in a single gulp.

C kicked off from the ground in time to dodge, and somersaulted backward to avoid Suigetsu's follow-up swing. "Quick little bastard, aren't you?" Suigetsu muttered. He pursued C across the grass, harrying him relentlessly with his Twinsword. He couldn't afford to let the fight stretch out, because wielding Hiramekarei for too long sapped his energy.

Suigetsu began moving faster, his swings growing wilder, in the hopes of catching the elusive medic-nin. His swordsmanship became a little sloppier as he moved faster. After a particularly wild swing which carved a tremendous chunk out of an ice-covered tree trunk, C made his counter-attack.

The Kumo shinobi reversed direction so quickly he looked as if he'd been yanked by a wire, slipping inside Suigetsu's reach. There was no way Suigetsu could get his sword around in time – he'd overextended himself.

C lunged in, palm extended for a crippling strike to his midsection. _Sucker, _Suigetsu thought with satisfaction. He had wondered if the medic-nin would see through his sloppy swordsmanship for the trap it was, but it seemed his opponent was over-eager.

Suigetsu's midsection turned to water and burst outward and around C, refusing to dissipate like normal water. "You're trapped in my Water Globe," Suigetsu gloated, approaching his defenseless opponent. "Shouldn't have underestimated me like that. No Swordsman would really overextend his attacks like I did. _Die!_"

He tried to compress the watery prison, forcing liquid into his victim's brain through his nose and eyes, only to find that C had disappeared.

_Shit! _Suigetsu cursed. _He's a Kami-damned genjutsu user!_

"Of course I saw through your strategy," C's voice floated through the air. "Subtlety isn't exactly your strong point, is it? I set up that genjutsu when I dodged your last strike. I wanted to see if you'd reveal the ability that allowed you to blow up your arm to increase your strength. Your entire body can turn to water, it seems… an interesting ability, but probably vulnerable to Lightning Release techniques. You're at a disadvantage, Kiri dog, even with your fancy sword."

Suigetsu grimaced, glad that his mask hid his frustration. He was actually at a double disadvantage – a good hit from a lightning jutsu would end him, to be sure, but C also seemed to be accomplished at genjutsu, which was another of Suigetsu's weaknesses. It was almost enough to make him wish he'd picked the jinchuuriki instead!

C appeared from behind one of the ice-pillar tree trunks, a smug smile on his face. "I won't kill you with a lightning bolt," he said, as if he were being kind. "It's much too clumsy. A battle worth winning is worth winning with style. _Lightning Illusion: Flash of Lightning Pillar!_"

A bright light seemed to emanate from C's body, blinding Suigetsu and making him cry out in pain. He jumped back and, still blinded, used an advanced technique with his sword that turned it into a giant anaconda coiled around his body like a living coat of armor.

As his vision returned, spotted and hazy but undamaged, Suigetsu saw C charging toward him, his right hand crackling and sparking with some kind of lightning jutsu. Suigetsu lashed out with the Twinsword, turning the blade into a chakra shark to meet his opponent head-on, when he experienced a terrible sinking feeling.

_Sasuke always uses nested illusions – never just a single one. What if this guy…_

Sure enough, C's form abruptly disappeared when Suigetsu's arm was fully extended, brandishing his sword at empty air. A familiar crackling sound came from behind, and Suigetsu knew he wouldn't even see the lightning jutsu that ended his life.

oOoOo

Haku tried to observe Yugito as Itachi had taught him, analyzing the way she stood and identifying any hidden weapons. As a jinchuuriki, her greatest weapon most likely wasn't concealed anywhere on her body, but it was the principle of the thing that counted. Losing to a jinchuuriki wasn't necessarily a disgrace, but getting surprised by a kunai that he had missed certainly would be.

As he took the measure of his opponent, Haku was impressed by her poise. He considered himself a fairly good judge of character – years of serving Zabuza, never an easy man to know, had served as a base for Itachi's more nuanced lessons in reading people. Yet Yugito was a closed book to him. Anything could have been going on behind those appraising eyes, and even though Haku wore a mask, he was sure that the Kumo jinchuuriki was taking his measure every bit as surely as he was trying to take hers.

"You puzzle me," Haku said, using the flat, uninflected tone that always drove Suigetsu up the wall. "You seem like an intelligent and honorable kunoichi, but your actions paint a different image by far."

"Such a flatterer," Yugito said, a genuine smile flitting across the older jounin's face. "But we haven't known each other long enough to have any idea of our relative levels of intelligence. As for being honorable, that is a quaint ideal, but ultimately a fallacy. A shinobi has no need of honor, only obedience."

Haku nodded, in acknowledgement if not in agreement. "Once I would have agreed with you whole-heartedly," Haku replied. "How could I not? I, who made of my life a sacrifice to lay at my master's feet. But the burden of moral obligation should never wholly disappear. If the servant replaces his conscience with absolute loyalty, that only adds to the responsibility of the master to act rightly – otherwise, he betrays the precious gift entrusted to him. That is the essence of leadership, and where it exists not, there lie the roots of tyranny."

By the end of this speech, one of Yugito's eyebrows had risen a fraction above the other. She looked highly amused. "Such wisdom, and from one so young! Your sword ill becomes you, child. You ought to wear a long, white beard instead, and write treatises on philosophy."

Haku sighed. "The reign of Masanori the Tyrant made philosophers of us all. And while I truly believe that the pen is mightier than the sword…" – Haku smiled beneath his mask, blaming Sasuke for infecting him with the tendency to banter – "I forgot to bring my pen." He hefted Nuibari, the Longsword, and sank into a fighting crouch. "I trust that this will suffice."

"You will need more than a sewing needle to beat me," Yugito said calmly.

Haku swept her a mocking bow. "As you say, so do I obey." He took one hand off Nuibari and executed a flawless series of one-handed seals. "_Hidden Mist jutsu_."

In the seconds before the mist thickened enough to erase visibility, Haku was mildly gratified by the impressed look on Yugito's face. It was always nice to be appreciated. Not even Zabuza could create complex one-handed seals as well as he could.

Haku centered himself, taking slow, silent breaths in order to assume the frame of mind necessary for the Silent Killing technique. He was swift as the wind, lighter than mist, and merciless as death itself. Haku zeroed in on the sound of Yugito's breath, which might as well have been a homing beacon to his well-trained ears. He sped into motion, quiet as the grave, with Nuibari extended for the kill.

Haku was not altogether surprised, but definitely impressed when his sword met something metallic rather than the weak, yielding flesh. He exchanged a dozen quick, furious blows with Yugito, neither able to see the other's weapon, each reacting to the impossibly subtle displacement of air as blades flashed through the mist.

"You're good," Haku said, retreating for a moment and speaking loudly, the better to distract Yugito while he prepared his next strategy. "Have you studied Silent Killing before?"

"Not at all," Yugito's voice floated eerily through the mist. "But when I desire it, I can have _very_ sharp hearing."

"You're referring, I suppose, to your demon," Haku said, hoping that his opponent would try to track his voice for just a few moments more. "Are you the host of the Two-Tails? It has a feline form, I believe, which would likely be able to grant enhanced senses to its host."

"Very astute." Yugito's voice was very dry. "May I ask why you're trying to distract me? You've been circling me this entire time, and I rather doubt you were trying to discover a weak point in my defense."

Haku came to a stop, suppressing a sigh of relief. Yugito had figured him out, but not quickly enough. She was trapped, but she couldn't see it yet because of the mist. Haku dispelled the technique, allowing the chakra-infused mist to fade away. He felt it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

Yugito circled slowly, unable to hide a small flicker of unease as she saw Haku's trap. She stood in the center of a dome comprised of huge mirrors made of ice – twenty-one mirrors, to be precise – each of which held an image of Haku. Yugito recovered instantly, composing her features into a confident mask.

"So the mist was only a diversion," she said, nodding like a teacher acknowledging a particularly clever response from a student. "It was meant to keep me from seeing you raise this dome."

"I had hoped to finish things with the Silent Killing technique," Haku answered. "But you were quick enough that I had to make other plans. But now you're trapped, and when I fight within my Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals my speed increases exponentially."

Yugito only smiled and crouched down, lowering her center of gravity. Haku now saw that the weapons she had used to deflect Nuibari in the mist were not swords at all – rather, they were her nails, which had grown like claws to almost a foot in length. A feral light shone from Yugito's eyes, and chakra emanated from her like heat from a roaring furnace. Haku recognized the sensation from when Zabuza initiated a Partial Transformation.

"Trapped, am I?" Yugito purred, sliding her claws together and creating a horrific screeching sound. "We'll see about that, little one. You're not the only one whose speed can increase exponentially."

In reply, Haku flitted from mirror to mirror far faster than the unaided eye could track, and threw hundreds of ice spears at Yugito from every direction. She whirled with inhuman grace, her claws weaving a defense that turned aside every single spear without fail. When the volley stopped, Yugito switched effortlessly from defense to offense.

"My turn," she growled, forming a hand seal and exhaling with a rush. A burning projectile flew from her mouth towards one of the ice mirrors in the second row, angled downwards. It wasn't moving particularly fast, at least not compared to Haku, and he had plenty of time to move out of the way. He also had time to identify the projectile as a hairball – a fiery hairball, to be sure, but a hairball nevertheless – before it impacted the mirror and exploded with deadly force.

The ice mirror, which was strong enough to withstand high-intensity Fire Release jutsu and multiple exploding tags, shattered like a window pane meeting a hammer. The edge of the blast caught the neighboring mirrors, causing spidery cracks to spread across their glossy surfaces.

It was the work of less than a second for Haku to replace the mirror with a new one, but Yugito had definitely made her point. She looked around at the twenty-one mirrors, each containing Haku's image, and laughed.

"What's the matter?" she said, a sly glint in her eyes. "Cat got your tongue?"

oOoOo

With death coming at him from behind, Suigetsu had only time enough for a few final thoughts, the foremost of which was self-loathing. His first fight against a high-level shinobi from another village, and he was suckered by a nested genjutsu. All that sparring with Sasuke and his thrice-damned sharingan mind-melding, and Suigetsu hadn't learned a thing! It was embarrassing, really.

_Wait for me, Mangetsu, _Suigetsu called out silently to his brother. _I'll join you soon._

But there was no sharp, stabbing pain in his back, no copious blood loss followed by oblivion. Suigetsu whirled around and saw C barely a meter away. But the Kumo medic-nin was not closing for the kill – instead, he leapt away as a small, winged shape dove between him and Suigetsu.

"Tada!" cried Sevaron, or Sev as he preferred to be called. The son of the leader of the Ninja Vampire Bat clan came out of his dive and posed in midair, displaying a flair for the dramatic that he had to have learned from Sasuke. "Sev saves the day again!"

"What the hell, Sev!" Suigetsu yelled, shaking the Twinsword at the little bat. "Stop interfering with my fight!"

Sev stuck his tongue out impudently. "Shut it, you waterlogged wannabe! I saved your ass, and you know it. Captain said I should fight with you…" Sev's red eyes lit up with smug satisfaction, and he spoke in a way that made it clear he was quoting, "since you're rubbish at genjutsu."

Suigetsu snarled. "Tell Sa- the Captain to mind his own business," he shouted. "I'm doing just fine!"

"No offense," C called out, his back to one of the vast, ice-covered tree branches, "but the summons has a point. You'd be dead without its help."

"Silence, Kumo sheep!" Sev commanded before Suigetsu could respond, bristling with sudden anger. "My name is Sev, not summons, and I am a _he_, not an it. I will drain the blood from your veins one drop at a time, and leave your dried-out husk for the vultures to pick at!"

"Wow," said C, eyes widening. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

Sev bared his teeth, and swooped to land on Suigetsu's shoulder. "Enough empty words. Quit stalling, Suigetsu. Do you really want to explain to the Captain that you refused to follow his orders?"

Suigetsu winced. Sasuke would rip him in half if he ignored an order. There was also the fact that the bloodthirsty creature was almost as skilled with genjutsu as Sasuke, and he _had_ saved Suigetsu's ass just now. It looked like there wasn't much choice… but damn, even if he ended up winning, Haku and Sasuke would hold this over his head _forever_.

"All right, you little winged rat, let's do this. You're on genjutsu patrol."

Sev dug his claws into Suigetsu's shoulder, which Suigetsu manipulated to remain solid instead of liquid. It hurt, but it meant that Sev would keep his grip even if Suigetsu had to change direction quickly. "You can count on me!" Sev said, entirely too happy about the coming battle. "Since sudden pain can dispel an enemy's genjutsu, I'll just bite you every time he activates one."

"You're too kind," Suigetsu said drily.

Sev tightened his grip, drawing a little blood. "Oh, my pleasure," he said innocently. "But don't worry. He'll be too busy countering _my _genjutsu to try anything too tricky on you. You just swing that sword like the muscle-bound simpleton you are."

"Once this is over, you and I are going to have words," Suigetsu promised.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," Sev retorted. "Forward, slave!"

Muttering heartfelt curses about interfering vampire bats, Suigetsu nevertheless did as he was told. He went after C with all the speed he possessed, swinging Hiramekarei with more skill than he'd shown before. But C was also faster than he'd let on, and eluded each questing strike with ease.

C tried several more genjutsu on Suigetsu, but Sev's fangs offered a painful anchor to reality and allowed Suigetsu to free himself each time. Suigetsu realized that there were now two fights going on at once – the visible one in which he hunted C across the length of the battlefield, and the invisible one in which C and Sev matched wills in a genjutsu duel. The fact that C could focus on both at once was extraordinary, and in spite of himself, Suigetsu was impressed by his opponent's chakra control and mental fortitude.

"Your pet is _much_ better at genjutsu than you are," C panted, pausing for an instant just outside of Suigetsu's reach. "I think, just this once, I'll forget about style and win this fight with brute force. I wonder, with a body made entirely of water, how you'll fare against lightning?"

He brought his hands together and shaped a swirling ball of yellow chakra that crackled with the essence of lightning. "_Lightning Release: Electric Spear!_"

A bolt of lightning, shaped like a boar spear complete with cross-brace and three-foot-long blade, shot out towards Suigetsu. _Finally, _thought Suigetsu. This was what he'd been waiting for.

With desperate speed, he pulled a Sealing Scroll from within his flak jacket and unrolled it with one hand. It blocked Suigetsu from C's field of vision, and the metal spike just beginning to emerge from the scroll drew C's attack like a lightning rod. The crackling energy disappeared, conducted by the spike into the scroll itself, where it would dissipate harmlessly. The scroll had been Itachi's idea – the crafty bastard had worked out the sealing jutsu himself, and given the scroll to Suigetsu for use against a shinobi with Lightning Release.

Suigetsu closed the scroll one-handed and charged, hoping to catch C off-guard before he recovered from his technique. Face contorted in a snarl, C prepared to jump away, but he was too late.

Sev had taken advantage of that single instant when the scroll blocked them from view to reposition himself behind C, while Suigetsu had performed a simple clone jutsu to make it look as if the little bat were still latched on to his shoulder.

The vampire bat's auditory genjutsu, conveyed by a piercing shriek, took C completely by surprise and froze the blond shinobi in place for just an instant. It was a potent genjutsu that had gotten the better of Suigetsu more than once in the past, fooling the brain into thinking that one's muscles were rigid and incapable of motion. Suigetsu's sword, assuming the shape of a giant boa constrictor, wrapped around C before he could dispel the genjutsu, pinning the Kumo shinobi's arms to his sides and squeezing tightly around his neck. A second went by, then ten, then twenty, and C went limp, eyes rolling up in their sockets.

"Give it a second more," Sev suggested, hovering over the trapped shinobi. "He could be faking."

"Teach your grandmother to suck blood, why don't you," Suigetsu retorted. "You'd think I never knocked anyone unconscious before… I get no respect." But he did wait a few more seconds before recalling his sword and allowing C to slide, unconscious, to the ground. "I think I may have broken a few ribs," Suigetsu said, walking cautiously over to observe his fallen opponent. "Good thing he's a medic."

"Not bad, Suigetsu," said Sev, the bat's eyes brimming with mischief. "Maybe one day you'll win a fight without someone there to hold your hand."

"Oh, that's it, you bloodsucking pipsqueak…"

oOoOo

Sasuke was fairly sure that black lightning was pushing the limits of the possible. After all, lightning was energy, right? It was a light source – 'light' was half of the name, for Kami's sake! How the hell could lightning be black and still act like lightning?

But he couldn't argue with the evidence of his eyes. Darui was using lightning, and it was black. Acceptance: check. Next step: figure out how to beat it.

Sasuke met the obstacle head-on, by firing a giant lightning bolt from Kiba's joined form directly at the panther standing before him, crackling with equal parts electricity and menace. The panther absorbed Sasuke's attack, with no visible effect except to grow slightly larger.

"Sorry, but _that's_ not going to work," Darui commented lazily. "I am the inheritor of the Third Raikage's Black Lightning. The Lightning Swords Kiba are powerful, but not against this technique. You're just giving me more voltage."

Sasuke moved faster than the eye could track, his reflexes supercharged by the lightning chakra coursing throughout his body, yet he barely avoided the panther's initial rush. Though it held the shape of a monstrous beast, it moved with the speed of lightning.

Sasuke paused for a moment, considering Darui's words. If his opponent spoke true, then his sword was useless for attacking. "Well… shit."

Sasuke slung his sword over his back, though he maintained the connection to its chakra that powered his Lightning Armor. Perhaps lightning bolts couldn't defeat Darui's Black Lightning, but the incorporeal armor would at least keep Sasuke from getting fried if the panther got too close.

"Though I acknowledge your swordsmanship," Darui said, slouching casually while his panther gathered itself for another charge, "you were simply unlucky to run into shinobi from Kumo. Swords and lightning… that is what we _do_. You cannot win while you fight to my strengths."

"Very well," Sasuke said, pulling off another last-second evasion as the panther flickered past him. "I'll change my tactics. In truth, I prefer fire to electricity. _Fire Release: Burning Phoenix Jutsu!_"

Sasuke exhaled a dozen fireballs that swung wide and looped back in towards Darui. To Sasuke's surprise, the Kumo shinobi reacted instantly with a series of hand seals that Sasuke recognized from his many duels with Kiri shinobi.

"_Water Release: Guardian Snakes._"

The panther disappeared, replaced by a seething tangle of whips of water shaped like snakes, which met Sasuke's fireballs and doused them with hissing clouds of steam.

"Fire and lightning," Darui mused. "A strange combination for a Kiri shinobi."

Sasuke shrugged. "No stranger than water for a Kumo shinobi."

"Quite the contrary, actually. A storm is as much water as lightning."

"So it is…" Sasuke reluctantly decided that his repertoire of Fire Release techniques, like the Lightning Swords Kiba, were also useless in this fight. Kami on a stick, were there any techniques that _would_ work against this bastard?! "Are there any _other_ techniques you want to throw at me? Maybe shoot some Wind Release jutsu out your ass?"

Ah, sarcasm. The weapon that never failed, no matter the opponent.

"No Wind jutsu, I'm afraid. But I _do_ know something you don't know."

"And what's that?"

"I… am not left-handed."

Sasuke stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

Darui sighed, tugging at his white hair. "Alas, the younger generation has no culture. But back to your question. In fact, I have one more ace up my sleeve. Remember what I said about storms? It was more than a nugget of meteorological wisdom. _Storm Release: Laser Circus!_"

The Kumo shinobi brought his hands together and began to generate a halo of bright energy. Acting on instinct, Sasuke took a tremendous risk by activating his sharingan. This technique looked dangerous, tremendously so, and there was nowhere to run in this dome of ice.

Dozens of beams shot out from the halo around Darui's hands, faster than his black lightning and obedient to his will. Sasuke's sharingan allowed him to track the paths of the beams, which changed in midair according to Darui's will. Without the precision afforded by his sharingan, Sasuke could not have avoided the attack.

Instead he danced like a leaf in the heart of a storm, avoiding death by the slightest of margins.

_It's too late to back down, _Sasuke thought, as he evaded beam after questing beam. _He'll figure out I have the sharingan, if he hasn't already. Time to end this, with everything I have._

He began rushing forward, dodging the deadly beams of Darui's Laser Circus while maneuvering to secure eye contact with his opponent. As long as Darui still believed he was a kenjutsu and ninjutsu specialist, there was a chance this could work.

Darui was controlling his Laser Circus like a conductor leading an orchestra, redirecting literally dozens of beams simultaneously. To do so, he had to stay alert for Sasuke's changing position, which finally allowed Sasuke to gain a direct line of sight to his opponent.

He bet everything on his best genjutsu, one subtle enough that even Itachi had praised it. Drawing on the power of his sharingan, which swirled with all three tomoe, Sasuke cast a visual genjutsu that didn't require any hand seals at all. He projected the image into Darui's mind of one of his beams catching Sasuke and charring him to the bone.

He cast a second genjutsu alongside the main one, the purpose of which was to change the apparent color of his eyes. Making eye contact ensured that Darui would see his eyes, and even through the mask they would appear red. Sasuke's nested genjutsu made his eyes appear a deep green, at least until the primary genjutsu made it look as though his body withered away under the onslaught of the Laser Circus.

Meanwhile, the real Sasuke used Body-Flicker while erasing all trace of his motion directly from Darui's brain. He appeared behind Darui, who began to dispel his powerful Storm Release technique now that Sasuke was apparently dead. Sasuke's kunai caught him in the back of the head, and the Kumo shinobi fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sasuke put away his weapon, breathing heavily.

_Thank you, sharingan, _he thought fervently. _Thank you, Itachi._

Though Sasuke was glad to be alive, something about the way the fight ended nagged at him – it seemed almost… too easy. On the other hand, Itachi had always told Sasuke that many strong shinobi could be fooled by a skilled genjutsu user. If you fought for a long time without using any genjutsu whatsoever, and displayed high-level ninjutsu techniques, your opponent often lowered his guard against mental assaults, even if he wasn't conscious of doing so. Perhaps that was what happened to Darui… the Kumo shinobi had seemed very laid-back, after all. Maybe he had just let down his guard.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking down at his fallen opponent.

_Maybe…_

oOoOo

Haku needed to take action quickly – clearly, Yugito was not as trapped as he'd hoped. With enough of those burning-hairball projectiles, she could break out of his Ice Mirrors, and Haku would lose the increase in speed that was, right now, his only edge against the jinchuuriki.

Luckily, Haku was nothing if not adaptable. He began shooting across the dome, projecting himself between mirrors with every bit of his incredible speed. Each passage across the dome brought him within striking distance of Yugito, and each time Haku attempted to skewer her with Nuibari.

Yugito turned aside each strike, but Haku moved so quickly that Yugito had no time to do anything other than defend. Every fraction of a second included an attack from a new direction, and Yugito had to keep both clawed hands in motion to keep Nuibari from running her through. The benefit, for Haku, was that the Kumo kunoichi was unable to form any hand seals.

"Stop killing time!" Yugito called out, keeping pace with Haku's relentless attacks. "You can't keep this speed up forever – all I have to do is defend until you run out of chakra."

Haku stopped attacking, though he kept moving between mirrors to disguise his true position. "You're right about this technique requiring a lot of chakra. That used to be its greatest weakness – I couldn't sustain it for too long without moving slower over time. Then I received Nuibari. Its ability works quite well with my Ice Mirrors. Tell me, did you notice the wires trailing behind me? They're anchored around the Ice Mirrors. This entire dome is now one gigantic game of cat's cradle."

Yugito stopped trying to track Haku's image in the mirrors and instead examined the interior of the dome. What Haku had said was true – there were literally hundreds of wires running to and fro between the mirrors, though they were so thin as to be practically invisible.

"It took me months to learn how to unlock Nuibari's true potential," Haku said. "Normally it's only meant to string corpses together, but I always wanted to use the wires themselves as a weapon in conjunction with my Ice Mirrors. You can defend against my blade, but can you protect yourself from a hundred simultaneous attacks from every direction? Not even a chakra cloak is an ultimate defense, after all."

Haku lifted Nuibari, channeling his chakra through the unique blade, and forced the elaborate maze of wires to contract. Yugito was in the very center of a death trap that would slice her into dozens of pieces.

As the wires closed in, Yugito jumped into the air and curled herself into a ball. She screamed in defiance, and claws burst from her sandaled feet, just like the ones already sprouting from her hands. Somehow, Yugito contrived to position her hands and feet so that the incoming wires snarled around her claws, coming to a stop before they cut her flesh. It took all four of her claws to do it, but she was unharmed.

Haku raised an eyebrow, impressed. Seriously quick thinking on the part of his opponent, although now she was suspended in midair, helpless as a deer tangled up in a net.

"What are you waiting for?" Yugito snarled, trying and failing to cut through the wires with jerky motions of her limbs. "Finish it."

Haku obliged, coming out of the mirror directly in front of her and aiming for her heart with Nuibari. He was less than a foot away when Yugito's eyes lit with satisfaction, and she shot another burning projectile at him at point-blank range – without any hand seals at all!

Haku burned before her eyes, withering away into nothing more than a scattered pile of scorched bones. "Foolish child," Yugito said, falling to the ground now that the wires trapping her were no longer taut. "Just because one uses hand seals once, doesn't mean one has to. The strongest shinobi are never unarmed, even without the use of their arms."

Yugito had barely finished speaking before feeling a slight prick in the back of her neck. Weakness flooded her limbs, and darkness overtook her vision. "Genjutsu," she whispered, even as consciousness left her. "Not… bad…"

Haku came out from the mirror where he'd been hiding, waiting to see whether Yugito had bought his genjutsu or not. She certainly hadn't dodged his senbon, which had hit a vital point that induced a death-like state.

"I don't know about the strongest shinobi," he said, while channeling chakra once more through Nuibari to coil the wire back up into his sword's hilt. "But the shinobi of Kiri know better than to attack straight on, even when our opponent is supposedly immobilized."

Haku looked around at the larger battlefield, and saw with relief that his was the last duel to finish, and both of his teammates stood victorious. He met with Sasuke and Suigetsu in the center of the dome, carrying Yugito's limp form carefully.

Suigetsu was considerably less careful with C, dumping the Kumo medic-nin unceremoniously at Sasuke's feet. Haku winced, seeing the deep purple bruising around C's neck. 'Subtle' just wasn't in Suigetsu's vocabulary.

"So we all survived," said Sasuke, laying Darui down next to his teammates. "Did any of you…" he paused, and his body language spoke of uncertainty. "Never mind."

Haku thought he knew what Sasuke was getting at. "Do you think it was too easy?" he asked quietly.

Sasuke shot him a sharp look, then nodded. "Yeah… I mean, I had to use my sharingan, but still…"

"_My_ battle wasn't easy!" Suigetsu protested. "I almost _died!_"

Sev did a little victory dance in midair. "But you didn't, thanks to everyone's favorite vampire bat! Bow before me, mortal!"

Suigetsu growled a curse and began chasing Sev around the dome, throwing volleys of kunai at him. Sasuke let them go. He figured Suigetsu needed to settle his nerves, and Sasuke wanted the chance to talk to Haku alone.

"What did you think?" he asked Haku. There wasn't anyone else whose insight Sasuke trusted more, except perhaps Itachi.

"My fight was also difficult, yet… not quite in earnest, if I may use such a phrase. It was almost like Yugito was… _testing_ me, working through my skills one by one like a teacher evaluating a student. It hurts my pride, but I believe she wasn't giving her all. To be sure, she didn't undergo a full transformation into her Tailed Beast Form. Although, I suppose she could have been holding back to avoid breaking the ice arena and opening us to the risk of Deidara's creatures."

"I'm glad it's not just me," said Sasuke. "I find it… difficult, if not impossible, to believe that a shinobi of Darui's experience did not notice when I activated my sharingan."

Haku stared soberly at Sasuke. "If you suspect that he knows your secret, why leave him alive?"

"Because of the nagging feeling that he's… testing me, I guess. Like how you felt Yugito was testing you. Damn, it makes no _sense!_"

But in his mind, Sasuke could hear an echo of Darui's voice, saying "Believe it or not, we _do_ abide by a code of honor."

Haku waited patiently. "So what are you going to do?"

Sasuke looked from Darui to Yugito, then up at Haku. His resolve firmed. Maybe the choice he was about to make was the wrong one, but he couldn't afford to second-guess himself.

"I'm going to trust my instincts," said Sasuke. "We leave them alive."

Though Haku did not speak or even move, somehow Sasuke knew that his teammate approved of his choice. Then again, Haku was a closet romantic who never killed anyone if he had a chance to avoid it. Ah, what the hell. Sasuke would toss the dice, and deal with whatever happened when they fell.

"One way or another," Haku said quietly, "we'll find out what the honor of a Kumo shinobi is worth."

"I suppose we will." Then Sasuke got an idea. He pulled a brush, ink and a blank scroll from one of the many pockets in his hunter-nin robes, and knelt down to write a short message. Once it was complete, he tucked it into an inner pocket of Darui's vest.

"What's that?" asked Suigetsu, who had returned after a stress-relieving game of try-to-kill-the-bat.

Sasuke stood up, face a grim mask. "A random variable."

"Ah." He waited expectantly. When Sasuke didn't explain further, Suigetsu merely shrugged. "I hate those." 

"On the bright side," Haku said, kneeling down next to Yugito and fishing a distinctive scroll out of her belt pouch, "we now have an Earth scroll."

"Thank Kami," Suigetsu breathed. "I'd hate to think we went through all that for nothing. It's about time we got out of this shitty forest."

"You never said a truer word," said Sasuke, taking hold of the unease he felt and trying to banish it to the back of his mind.

_I'm taking a hell of a gamble… with everything on the line. Ah, look on the bright side. If it backfires, I won't live long enough to regret it._

"Hey, Suigetsu," he said brightly, turning to his brash teammate. "How pissed do you think these Kumo dorks would be if we'd told them that Kiri has its own byakugan user? I can't _wait_ to tell Ao about these fools!"


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: **I'm back! Life is getting pretty hectic for me, but **Rise of the Uchiha** is reaching the final showdown and I refuse to let it die out. This is the final chapter covering events in the Forest of Death. Most of it is a battle between Otogakure and Sandstorm, but we also discover the truth behind the dead Uchiha squad whom Naruto's team found strung up in the Forest. Next time we'll begin the Preliminaries, and with all of the injuries sustained so far in Deidara's twisted Forest, the final Tournament lineup is anyone's guess. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 39**

Dosu of Otogakure was a cold-blooded killer, an assassin in every sense of the word. For him, killing wasn't about emotion, it was just the job – and he was good at his job. With his teammates, Kin and Zaku, Dosu went into the hard-to-reach places and took out the tricky targets. Otogakure might be a small village, but its income had almost doubled in the time Dosu had been on active duty, thanks to powerful individuals with murder to be done and pockets deep enough to pay for it.

Emotions are anathema to the hired killer, so Dosu tried to keep a level head. He could kill without mercy and analyze the worst of situations logically – almost nothing could break his cool. If there was one thing that Dosu truly hated, however, one thing that really got under his skin, it was feeling weak.

In Orochimaru's main base, Dosu could count on two hands the number of shinobi he needed to fear. Orochimaru himself, of course, and Kabuto. Then there were Orochimaru's Curse Seal-bearing bodyguards, any one of whom could take down Dosu's entire team without breaking a sweat. Add in the recently healed Kimimaro and the mysterious hooded kunoichi everyone in Oto had been talking about, and that was pretty much it.

But here, in these Chuunin Exams, it seemed every other team was packed with super-powered freaks. Jinchuuriki and armored monsters and masked men with magical swords… a simple assassin barely stood a chance!

But that wasn't the attitude that had brought Dosu this far. When the odds seemed impossible, you evened them… usually by killing someone. You didn't have to be stronger than someone to kill him. You didn't have even have to be a better shinobi. You just needed to find that one weak point, that one chink in the armor that your mark never dreamed existed, and strike first… _that_ was the key to successful assassination.

The other key was, whenever possible, to make sure others did your dirty work. The perfect kill was one in which Dosu never lifted a finger.

Dosu shifted impatiently, waiting for his teammates to finish their preparations. Kin and Zaku were in the middle of casting a complex two-person genjutsu on two weak genin teams from Kumo. It had been difficult to convince Zaku to keep them alive, but Dosu had guessed they might come in handy. The six unconscious genin were laid out inside a sealing circle, while Kin crafted a genjutsu and drew on Zaku's chakra to enhance the effect.

This was Kin's ultimate genjutsu, requiring two full hours of the utmost concentration. It relied on her affinity for sound-based genjutsu, implanting commands deep within the victims' subconscious minds and associating them with different sounds from Kin's bells. With adequate preparation, Kin could implant a trigger in someone's mind without her victim even knowing something was wrong.

The genjutsu was invaluable in setting up scapegoats for the team's murders. Why bother killing a minor village leader directly, for example, when you could hypnotize his wife into slitting his throat as he slept? That had been a particularly neat murder, several years ago in Grass Country. The sound that had triggered the murder was the bell in the village church tower, ringing to mark midnight – an elegant and untraceable crime.

There were limits to the commands Kin could implant, of course, but they were determined only by her chakra control and her imagination, both of which were excellent.

Without warning, the sealing line around the Kiri genin flared bright red, and Kin and Zaku slumped down into the grass with weary sighs.

"That was a bitch," Kin gasped. "Never conditioned six at once before. Thanks for the extra juice, Zaku."

Zaku buried his face in his hands, wheezing. "Don't mention it… seriously, though. Why do we need all six of them again, Dosu? Kami, why do we need any of them at all? The three of us are more than enough for those Sandstorm saps."

Dosu reflected, not for the first time, that it was a good thing he was the brains of the operation.

"You talk a big game," he snarled, "but do you really want us to take on those armored beasts by ourselves?! Suna doesn't mess around, and you can bet they sent their best. There could be a crack jounin squad in those body suits, and no one would know. Trust me, Zaku… my plan is better."

"Whatever you say, boss," Kin offered, hoping to avoid a fight between Dosu and his brash subordinate. "Just give us a few hours to recover, and we can get this show on the road. Those Suna teams won't know what hit them."

The thought mollified Dosu somewhat. Even outnumbered and possibly outgunned, Otogakure's assassination squad would get the job done. It was what they did.

oOoOo

Although the three Sandstorm trios had entered the Forest of Death separately, it had taken less than three hours to find each other again. Shino always kept his teammates tagged with a few kikai bugs, and Kiba's nose kept his team from running into any powerful enemies while they reconnected with the others.

After Sandstorm gathered, they put Shikamaru's primary plan into action. It involved finding the Tower at the center of the Forest, which didn't take long, thanks to the range of scouting techniques they had at their disposal. The teams moved quickly, trusting to their superior firepower to keep them safe.

Once they reached the Tower, the nine genin of Sandstorm went to work creating the strongest fortifications they could. As Shikamaru said, wandering around the booby-trapped Forest randomly _could_ lead to success, but it could also lead them into an ambush – and no matter how weak the enemy might be, an ambush greatly increased the chances of Deidara's clay going _boom_. Much better if _they_ set the ambush, in a location that other teams had to reach sooner or later – the Tower.

Working together, Sandstorm was capable of creating some serious fortifications. The core of the defense, predictably, was Gaara's sand, but hardened and shaped into a maze, with walls reaching twelve feet in the air, that completely encircled the Tower. Any team wanting to reach the Tower door had to either enter the maze or blow it up, and any jutsu with enough firepower to even put a dent in Gaara's hardened sand would also ignite Deidara's explosive clay.

The moment a team entered Gaara's maze, however, they would be at Sandstorm's mercy. There were hundreds of tactical options corresponding to their different abilities, including collapsing sections of the maze, flooding them with Crow's poison gas, or flushing them out with the concentrated fury of Temari's Wind jutsu. Best of all, the thick sandstone walls muffled the sounds of battle, so Deidara's pets weren't attracted to anything happening inside.

Shino, Kiba, and Sakura constantly patrolled outside the maze, waiting for new victims to fall into their clutches. Gaara's Third Eye provided them with a sentry even further outside their range, which wasn't vulnerable to counter-attack or ambush.

The strategy worked well for the first two days, during which Sandstorm captured three over-eager teams with almost no trouble. Two Iwa teams, confident to a fault, had pushed for the Tower and tried to tunnel under the maze. Choji had been waiting for them, and even if Earth was not his best skill, his chakra reserves allowed him to blast them aboveground with one overloaded Earth jutsu. A more wary Kumo team approached several hours after that - they saw the maze and were too smart to enter it. Unfortunately for them, Kiba and Shino already had them flanked. When the luckless genin turned to deal with what they thought was the threat, a volley of Sakura's paralytic senbon took them out with ease.

Now Sandstorm had four Earth scrolls and two Heaven Scrolls – just one more Heaven Scroll and they could leave the Forest all together. But no strategy is flawless, and few battle plans survive any prolonged contact with the enemy. The genin of Sandstorm were about to find that out for themselves.

"There's a team coming," Gaara reported, in the center of the maze with Ino and Shikamaru. The three of them were Sandstorm's "command center," since Gaara had his Third Eye technique, Ino could communicate mentally with the other members, and Shikamaru had… well, his brain. Together, the three of them were best suited to respond to changing situations and relay the appropriate orders to the other members of the team, who were positioned strategically both inside and outside of the maze.

"It looks like Kumo nin," Gaara reported, "and they're not making any attempt at stealth. They'll pass by Kiba in seconds – seems like they know we're here, and they don't care they're outnumbered."

"Something's up," Shikamaru cautioned. "This smells like some kind of trap, and I think we should respond fast. Tell Sakura's group to engage them before they can reach the maze."

The only non-human present saluted Shikamaru and disappeared in a flash. Temari's favorite summons, Kamatari the sickle weasel, was the perfect messenger – swift, silent, and deadly in a pinch. He'd reach Sakura without anyone seeing more than a silver glint flashing by.

Ino frowned, her forehead wrinkling the way it did when she was thinking hard. "You think they've found some way to circumvent the maze?"

"No…" Shikamaru said. "I think there are more where these guys came from. Let's move – my instincts tell me it would be a mistake to hang back in the maze and let whoever's in charge of this attack dictate the pace of battle."

"Fair enough," Gaara agreed. "I wouldn't mind getting out of this damned cocoon. It's starting to feel a bit claustrophobic, for all it's my own technique."

oOoOo

Sakura had been expecting orders from Shikamaru, so she wasn't surprised when Kamatari appeared next to her with a puff of wind and a sound like leaves rustling. "Engage?" she asked.

"You got it, sweet cheeks," the weasel replied with a leer – Kamatari took great pride in his vulgarity and sexism, like many professional soldiers of an older generation. Sakura often considered turning him into a pincushion, but kept returning to the conclusion that he wasn't worth the effort. "Shadowlord says not to let them reach the maze."

Sakura snorted. "Still going with the nicknames, huh? That hasn't gotten old?"

"Please - _codenames_. Nicknames are for kiddies; codenames are for covert ops. What are you going to do if someone recognizes the names of the missing heirs to Konoha's clans? Besides, you're just mad 'cause yours isn't as cool as Shikamaru's. Good luck with the encroaching bad guys, Bubblegum!" Kamatari disappeared with a wicked chuckle, leaving Sakura still searching for a comeback.

Sakura took off after the Kumo genin, trusting that Kiba would block them before they reached the maze. She and Kiba would trap their opponents in a pincer, with Shino flanking to provide long-range support if necessary.

The Kumo team had actually managed to make it within a stone's throw of the maze before Sakura caught up with them. Kiba stood between them and the entrance, knees bent in a powerful taijutsu stance, shark-fin blades extending from the armor covering his forearms and shins.

"Welcome to the party," Kiba called out, his voice distorted by the matte-black visor covering his face. "We've got a right weird bunch here. They haven't said a word, not to negotiate or beg or even banter. Their eyes are dilated – might be drugged."

"Seriously?" Sakura approached the trio cautiously, paralytic senbon gripped in her right hand. As a medic nin, she was best suited to figuring out what they were dealing with.

"Stay back, Bubblegum!" Shino's voice rang out. Sakura grimaced. Of them all, only Shino actually used the codenames, and he did so without the utmost gravity. Somehow, that only made it worse.

"Don't _call_ me that!" she insisted, but Shino ignored her.

"If they've been drugged or placed under a genjutsu, it follows that they must have been sent by another team. I'm inclined to believe these are disposable pawns, sent either to distract us or attempt to take out a few of our number with a single self-destructive attack."

Kiba caught his breath and jumped backward, staring at the silent Kumo genin. "Their chakra is spiking!" he yelled.

There was barely time to react, as the enemy shinobi actually began glowing and crackling with energy. Sakura and her teammates sprang away with chakra-assisted leaps, but she doubted they would be able to clear the blast radius in time. The explosion was blinding and deafening, and Sakura closed her eyes unwillingly, wondering if her armor stood a chance of turning aside the raw force that would follow.

But no shockwave sent her flying through the air, no superheated air forced its way through the chinks in her armor to scald her flesh. Sakura opened her eyes and immediately saw the reason why – the area where the Kumo genin had been standing was now enclosed by a small version of Gaara's ultimate defense. The section of the maze closest to them was gone, having been redeployed to protect Sakura's team from the explosion.

Gaara, Shikamaru, and Ino appeared, explaining the source of Sakura's deliverance. Ino stood next to a fallen Kiba, and offered him a hand up.

"Good timing," Kiba said, managing to sound nonchalant.

Ino shrugged. "We thought so."

Temari's voice, shrill and urgent, echoed from further out in the Forest, carried by a modified Wind jutsu. "More coming! Three of them, from different directions – one south, one north, one east."

"I'll take east," Gaara replied, raising his voice so it would carry far. "Kankurou, take the others! The rest of you – figure out who the hell is behind this. We can't contain many more explosions!"

Gaara's Ultimate Defense dissolved into its normal form and sped off with Gaara riding it like a surfer without a board, searching out the latest suicidal genin. Kankurou, wherever he was, sent out two of his puppets to trap the last two attackers. Sakura winced – explosions this powerful would probably cripple those puppets permanently, even though their interiors were reinforced with hardened steel plates. Kankurou was going to be one pissed puppeteer after this.

There were a few long seconds of silence, followed by a trio of muffled sounds like a battery of cannons firing somewhere far away. Sakura let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. The explosions had been contained; they were safe, for now.

At least, that was what Sakura thought until Kiba barreled into her, shoving her aside just as an exploding tag detonated in between them. Without their armor, Kiba and Sakura would have died. As it was, they were merely knocked off their feet by the force of the blast.

"Where the hell did _that_ come from?!" Kiba cried.

"Up here, dipshits!"

They looked up, astonished, to meet a bizarre sight: three shinobi attached to some kind of flying apparatus – like a hang-glider, but with a large enough frame to fit three. The glider was pointed directly down, and the three shinobi – Oto nin, from their forehead protectors – dove at full speed toward the Sandstorm genin.

"They meant to separate us from Gaara, if the first explosion didn't kill us," Sakura said to Kiba as she jumped to her feet. "But why go this far? We're supposed to be allies!"

"No clue," Kiba said, activating the blades concealed in his armor, "but now's not exactly the time to worry about it. They seem to want a fight, so let's give them one."

One of the attacking shinobi completed a series of seals and held out his hands, palms up, towards Sakura. "_Decapitating Soundwaves!_" A rapidly rotating column of sound shot towards her, which Sakura barely managed to dodge. Before the glider crashed into the ground, the Oto shinobi jumped free, somersaulting through the air and landing gracefully in a triangle formation.

Sakura recognized the trio as the Oto team that had caused trouble before the First Exam – something about the pride of Otogakure. Apparently they didn't care much about alliances, or maybe their superiors hadn't told everyone in their village about the upcoming joint invasion.

The leader of the Oto genin attacked Kiba directly, and the two began a taijutsu battle that was as graceful as it was vicious. Kiba fought with the modified battle style of a Suna skirmisher, and even though it wasn't as familiar to him as the techniques of his clan, he easily held his own against his opponent.

"Leaving two for me, huh?" Sakura yelled to Kiba, trying to attract the attention of the remaining two – a boy and a girl, both of whom wore superior smirks.

"Nice try, honey," said the enemy kunoichi, "but we're from Oto. We can hear your teammates lurking out there in the trees."

"In that case," said Ino, emerging from behind a nearby tree, "there's no need to draw this out." She pulled her segmented metal whips from their holsters, cracking them a few times with a look of expectation. The male shinobi whirled around suddenly, shooting concentrated soundwaves from his palms in time to knock aside the two arrows that Shino had fired from cover.

"Sneaky," Zaku crowed, "but not sneaky enough!"

Sakura launched a volley of senbon, but the Oto kunoichi blocked them with a volley of her own. That was the moment when Choji's Earth-style technique activated, turning the ground underneath their feet into quicksand. For all their supposedly superior hearing, the technique caught the Oto team by surprise – they sank to their knees, and were trapped when the quicksand hardened.

Choji rose up out of the ground, where he had been hiding with the use of a jutsu Jiraiya had taught him many years ago. "All right there, Kiba?"

Kiba, who had been trapped in the quicksand along with his opponent, said a bad word.

By the time Gaara and Kankurou returned to the clearing, the rest of Sandstorm was assembled in a loose ring around their would-be assassins. "You're from Oto?" Shikamaru demanded incredulously. "Why did you attack us? And _how_ did you expect that sloppy strategy to work?"

The Oto team kept their mouths shut, faces frozen in expressionless masks. Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome fools. Ino, do you mind?"

"Not at all," the Yamanaka prodigy replied. It was a risk to use her clan techniques in enemy territory, but her teammates should be able to sense if anyone else was close by, and the information contained in their prisoners' heads might be useful.

A few minutes sufficed to extract everything of value that Dosu's team knew. "As far as I can tell, this is just a case of ambition and stupidity," Ino reported. "They know about the invasion, but the leader – Dosu – doesn't care. They sensed us setting up a trap around the Tower and wanted to teach us a lesson… a fatal one."

Gaara spoke up for the first time, his tone extremely grim. "So they knowingly attempted to assassinate their allies, and sacrificed six innocent foreign genin to do it?"

Ino nodded shortly. Gaara turned to Dosu's team, actually shaking with rage. When he spoke, however, his tone was measured and cold. "I do not judge you for trying to kill us – these are the Chuunin Exams, after all, and it would seem suspicious to avoid attacking any particular team. But you sacrificed innocents in a poorly conceived murder attempt, during an Exam that is secondary to our shared objective. I'm tempted to kill you, but I don't want to soil my hands with your filthy blood. Ino… finish this."

"Right." It was the work of a moment for her to erase their memories of the past few days. It was a bit of a rush job, and Ino guessed that Dosu and his team would be short a few IQ points when they woke up – not that she would lose much sleep over that.

"One last thing," Gaara said. He sent his sand to each of the unconscious genin in turn, delivering swift, crippling blows to their ears. "They can't repeat their mistakes if they're deaf. Trash like these three don't deserve to be called shinobi."

Some of the members of Sandstorm felt a flash of pity as they looked at the broken, defeated forms in front of them, but they only had to remind themselves of the six genin from Kumo, murdered in cold blood, to cut off their sympathy at the roots.

"Not to detract from this melancholy moment or anything," Kankurou ventured, "but these punks have three scrolls, one Heaven and two Earth."

"Good," Temari spat. "Let's take them and get the hell out of this place."

But it was not to be that easy. Shino and Kiba stiffened at the same time, turning to face the woods due west of them. "Danger closing fast!" Kiba whispered. "They're _strong!_"

"I agree with Kiba's assessment," Shino said, an undertone of worry clearly audible in his voice. "My colonies register massive spikes in chakra levels."

"Just three of them?" Kankurou asked, twitching his chakra strings to bring forth Crow, his favorite puppet. "How dangerous can they be?"

Sakura could have slapped Kankurou for tempting fate. Sure enough, when three Otogakure shinobi appeared in the clearing, the level of killing intent that accompanied them was enough to raise the hairs on her neck. Sakura recognized these shinobi, too – it was the team with the pale Oto-nin who had faced off against the Hokage's heir. Kimimaro was his name, she remembered. Next to him were a shifty-looking fellow with white hair and glasses, and a short figure whose face was entirely obscured by a hood drawn low.

"You had every right to kill them if you wanted," Kimimaro began abruptly, eyes blazing with righteous fury. "But you called them trash."

_How did he know that? _Sakura wondered. Did he have super-hearing too?

"You took their hearing, turning them from proud shinobi into broken beggars – a far crueler punishment than a clean death. You spat on their pride as shinobi of Otogakure. And all the while, you pretend like you're the civilized ones. Like they were ants to step on. I will _not_ stand aside and let the honor of Oto be so stained!"

"If _they_ are examples of Oto's so-called honor, then I don't think much of it," Gaara replied coolly. "Do you also wish to fight? Let me remind you, we have more important things awaiting us. Take your comrades' scrolls along with my apology, and let us both advance to the next stage of this foolish Exam."

"Only one of us will advance," Kimimaro declared. "Dosu and his teammates are fools, but they are of Oto. No one, ally or not, will get away with treating them this way. You shall die for your arrogance."

One of the other Oto shinobi, the one whose face was covered by a thick hood, tried to speak up. "Kimimaro-"

"Silence!" barked the pale-skinned shinobi. "You will not dissuade me. Fight or not, I don't care – but I _will_ see these trash rotting in the ground."

His teammate shrugged and fell silent, evidently not prepared to take the disagreement further.

Shikamaru took several steps forward, so that he stood between Gaara and Kimimaro. "Gaara… take Kankurou and Temari and go. Activate your scrolls and leave this Forest."

Every member of Sandstorm turned to stare at the Nara genius. "If that was meant to be a joke," Gaara said quietly, "it wasn't very funny."

"I'm not joking. If this guy thinks he can take on all of us, then he's either crazy or he's packing some serious firepower. I'm inclined to believe the latter. We can't afford to risk you here – with the six of us, we still have a number advantage, and we don't have to worry about your safety."

Gaara said nothing, obviously not convinced.

"Damn it, Gaara," Shikamaru spat, "I'm supposed to be Sandstorm's tactician! If you don't listen to me, then I might as well slit my throat now and have done with it. You have a responsibility to the entire village, not just to us!"

"Go on, Gaara," Kiba added after a moment. "We can handle these clowns."

Gaara's gaze wavered, and landed after a second on Sakura. He hesitated, and something caught in her throat. Was he waiting to hear what she said?

"Go on," she said, barely loud enough to be heard. "We can't always fight together. Having your team reach the next round is all that's important… remember?"

She was referring to their invasion plan, which hinged on Gaara unleashing his demon inside the arena to target Konoha's jinchuuriki – the same Uchiha Naruto who was the subject of so many rumors lately. Gaara was their best bet to take him out of the fight from the very start.

Gaara acquiesced at last. "All right, but if any of you get yourselves killed, I'll… I'll bring you back to life and kill you again!"

"Such a touching scene," sneered the third member of the Oto team, the slender, bespectacled young man. "Die here or die later… make your choice, and stop wasting our time."

Gaara didn't deign to respond, instead departing for the Tower with his siblings close behind. Kankurou did take a second to flash a rude hand sign at the obnoxious Oto shinobi, however.

"You talk big," Sakura said, zeroing in on Glasses. "Want to back that up?"

He held up his hands, which sprouted a covering of glowing green chakra. "My pleasure, princess."

oOoOo

Hinata wanted to kill Kimimaro. His prickly side always pissed her off, as did his devotion to the pride of Otogakure. Now she had to fight her allies, all because Dosu and his idiot teammates thought they belonged in the big leagues.

_At least they got what was coming to them,_ Hinata reflected. _Without their hearing, they'll never be effective shinobi again. Good riddance to bad rubbish._

The old Hinata could never have regarded such horrific injuries with satisfaction – but then that was the point. The old Hinata had been quick to pity, quick to sympathize, even if it was with her enemies.

But Hinata didn't have that luxury anymore. The hope of her village rested on her shoulders, which meant she had to be strong enough to bear that weight. She had to cast aside all emotions that didn't help her reach her goal, and hammer out weaknesses with ruthless precision in order to turn herself into the tool her village needed. They needed a warrior who didn't allow emotions to get in the way. They needed an avenger, who could be swift, merciless, and even cruel.

It was that last part which had given Hinata trouble – but more than a year training under the Legendary Sannin had pushed her past that mental block. Considering the nature of one of her teachers, it wasn't that hard to understand. Orochimaru could have instilled a bloodthirsty streak in a nun. And then, of course, there was her new Curse Seal… the effects it had on her body were nothing compared to the effects on her mind. Hesitation, weakness, compassion – Hinata had discarded them all like clothes she'd outgrown.

Thus, while Hinata regretted the need to fight the two Sandstorm genin currently facing her, she wasn't about to hold back. And the darkest part of her soul, which had sprung forth with a vengeance under Orochimaru's tutelage, felt a rush of pure exhilaration at the prospect of battle. The Curse Seal etched in her forehead called out to her, promising power and demanding to be used.

Hinata gathered her will, determined to resist – the last time she had answered that call, she had killed three people in as many seconds. Not that she felt much remorse over Uchiha Genji, the brute who had once assaulted her in the streets of Konoha, but these Sandstorm genin did not deserve to meet such a fate.

As Hinata struggled to exert mastery over the seductive call of her Curse Seal, a part of her whispered, _I am a monster_. The words echoed in her mind over and over in her mind, to the point where they lost all meaning. Hinata knew they were important, but she couldn't remember how they were supposed to make her feel.

"Why do you wear your hood like that? Are you disfigured or something?" demanded the Sandstorm genin on the left, in a harsh, masculine growl.

Hinata couldn't help laughing. "Says the man in the suit of armor. I'll pull up my hood when you take off that visor."

Hinata's second opponent, probably female judging by her smaller stature and graceful movement, readied two whips made of segmented metal. "I guess we're all a bit antisocial," said the Sandstorm kunoichi, "which explains why we're trying to kill each other when we could all leave this Forest right now."

Hinata shrugged. "You're not wrong. Try telling that to Kimimaro, though – he's a bit prickly when it comes to village pride. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to make sure he leaves your teammates alive."

The larger Sandstorm genin laughed scornfully. Hinata decided that she would think of him as Gruff, like his voice, and label his partner Girly. "You've got a brass set of balls, don't you?" Gruff demanded. "You should worry about us killing _you!_"

"Come on, then... make my day."

Judging from the blades protruding from his armor, Gruff was probably a close-quarters fighter. That was fine with Hinata. She charged him first, palming a kunai with each hand. She thought he seemed a bit surprised when she was able to keep up with his speed, but honestly, he wasn't nearly as quick as Orochimaru.

Hidden by her hood, Hinata's byakugan was also activated, which allowed her to see the mechanisms controlling dozens of blades within her opponent's armor. He appeared to be manipulating them with chakra, and no doubt the unpredictability of his attacks gave him a significant edge against any taijutsu user who couldn't see the blades moving before they actually extended out of the armor. It was just Gruff's bad luck to be fighting a Hyuuga.

It was also thanks to Hinata's byakugan that she did not get skewered by the whip that lashed at her from behind. Her other opponent apparently wasn't content to wait her turn. Those two whips were a danger to enemy and ally alike, but Gruff's armor rendered him invulnerable to his teammate's attack – it was a deadly combination.

Hinata dodged and weaved, avoiding Gruff's blades and Girly's whips. She got in a few attacks of her own, leaving several long scratches across Gruff's breastplate with her kunai. The number of scratches increased steadily, but she never came close to penetrating the metallic armor.

"What in Kami's name are you doing?" Gruff demanded, extremely annoyed at how easily Hinata was avoiding his combination attacks. "You're twistier than an eel, but you can't imagine you'll beat me with just kunai. Have you missed that I'm wearing _armor_?"

Hinata bent backwards at the waist, so that Girly's whip-strike missed her by mere inches and cracked harmlessly against Gruff's armored torso.

"My teacher is a fuuinjutsu master," Hinata said matter-of-factly. "Did you know it's possible to etch basic seals into hard surfaces like rock or metal?"

She dodged left to avoid a pass from her opponent's bladed knee, then launched a palm strike directly at the heart of the elaborate design she'd painstakingly scratched into her opponent's breastplate.

"Oh, sh-"

"_Release!_" Hinata barked, triggering the basic Blast Seal that had been one of the first fuuinjutsu techniques Jiraiya had taught her. He maintained that she was the best student he'd ever had, because she possessed the chakra control and the incredible attention to detail demanded by fuuinjutsu.

The concussive force from Hinata's technique originated on the surface of her opponent's armor and shot _through_ it, blasting Gruff across the clearing like a rag doll. Hinata smirked, remembering when she had first tried out this technique on Kimimaro. He still bore the scars on his chest.

The seals etched into the visor kept Hinata from being able to see Gruff's face, but she was willing to bet he was unconscious. The human body was not designed to function well after abuse like that.

"_No!_" the anguished cry echoed off nearby trees, and Hinata turned to face her remaining opponent.

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" Girly snarled. There was an ominous _click_, and then her whips ignited with different kinds of chakra – one fire, and one lightning.

Hinata felt a grin stretch unbidden across her face.

"Now we're talking."

oOoOo

Kabuto was good – faster than Temari, better in hand-to-hand than Kiba, and far more practiced with medical ninjutsu than Sakura. She couldn't even begin to understand, let alone replicate the way he balanced the precision of the chakra scalpel technique with the raw force necessary to make it an effective weapon. All she knew was that if he landed any more direct hits, her Sandstorm armor would peel apart like a cheap tin can.

Her initial strategy of hemming him in with Shino's arrows while she engaged in close-quarters combat was not going to cut it this time. Not even her poisons had worked, and gaping wounds apparently only qualified as slight and short-lived nuisances to Kabuto. Sakura was growing tired of watching him heal in front of her eyes – not only was the regeneration technique crushing her pride as a medic nin, it was also _damn_ frustrating.

The conclusion was clear – it was time to up her game. Sakura bit her thumb and invoked the Summoning Jutsu.

"You called?" The voice was dry as desert sand, sibilant as death itself. It belonged to a deathstalker scorpion no larger than Sakura's hand, which appeared in a puff of smoke on Sakura's shoulder. The scorpion elder had a mottled yellow and black body, with malevolent red eyes. His name was Obikiri.

"I did, Honored Elder," Sakura said, keeping her tone as respectful as possible. The last time the elder of the Ninja Scorpion clan had accused her of a lack of respect, Sakura had spent fourteen hours immobilized by a venom that burned like fire in her veins. "I humbly request your aid in this battle."

"What for?" the ancient scorpion demanded irritably. "He doesn't look that tough."

Sakura had to agree that Kabuto's appearance didn't exactly strike fear into one's heart – but then, that was probably the point. A shinobi who looked unassuming was far more likely to be underestimated than one who advertised his power openly. She remained tactfully silent.

"I'll inject you with Ambrosia Venom," Obikiri grumbled, "but I'm not fighting. Summon Yakitori. She has far more patience for this kind of nonsense than I."

"Thank you, Honored Elder." Sakura performed another Summoning Jutsu. Nothing happened – at least, that was how it looked to a casual observer.

"Yes, yes, very well," the scorpion muttered impatiently. "Let's get this over with."

Sakura felt a sharp stinging sensation in her neck, followed by a rush of euphoria that obliterated everything else. Not just the pain, but the memory of pain, the very idea that pain existed – all ceased to exist for Sakura. There was only the beautiful liquid power rushing through her veins, courtesy of the Ninja Scorpion clan.

"I'll leave you to your games," Obikiri said, as if a life-and-death struggle were nothing more than a child's flight of fancy. Perhaps it was, from the perspective of a creature that had seen generations pass by like so many days and nights. He disappeared with a world-weary sigh.

The world came into focus, as if up until this moment Sakura had been wearing blurry goggles and only now had them removed. Time slowed down, each second stretching out with infinite possibility. Obikiri's Ambrosia Venom, which Sakura had only experienced once before, removed the ability to feel pain and supercharged one's reflexes, at the cost of shortening one's lifespan.

For a limited period of time Sakura would become a berserker; faster, stronger, and utterly impervious to pain. An inability to feel pain was not, of course, the same as being immune to injury… but Sakura had an answer for that as well.

She signaled to Shino with a shrill whistle, and formed the hand seals for a jutsu that she had created herself, with a little help from Granny Chiyo. The technique essentially created chakra strings, with one twist. They were capable of channeling chakra between people, and they didn't require conscious manipulation to do their work. Not only that, but they were part of an automatic healing jutsu that triggered whenever Sakura suffered any harm. It worked somewhat like she imagined Kabuto's technique did, except that Sakura couldn't control her jutsu. It would automatically suck chakra from her partner to heal any and all injuries, and it wouldn't stop until either Sakura was healed or there was no more chakra to drain – resulting in the death of her partner, who in this case would be Shino.

Shino circled around, distracting Kabuto with one of his Hailstorm Arrows. The rapidly multiplying cloud of arrows sealed into the first arrow didn't have a prayer of incapacitating the Oto shinobi, but they distracted him long enough for Sakura to complete her technique, and for Shino to anchor her chakra strings within his own body.

Sakura's preparations were complete – now to make Kabuto regret picking a fight with Sandstorm.

Kabuto was roughly fifty meters away, the trees behind him riddled with Shino's arrows. Sakura crossed the distance in a flash, her first supersonic punch catching him in the stomach. Multiple _cracks_ resounded, testifying to at least three broken ribs.

The Oto nin cursed viciously, eyes widening in surprise and pain. "You have no bloodline, no clan techniques," he hissed. "How did you do that?!"

Sakura's analytical mind processed Kabuto's words and concluded that somehow, the Oto nin knew who she was. She filed that information away for later examination, but at the moment it seemed unimportant, paling in comparison to the glorious power spurring her to fight, to maim, to kill. Sakura's vision gained a yellowish tinge, which was a sign that the venom was just reaching full potency. She put on another burst of speed, determined to take Kabuto out of the fight as quickly as possible.

Even moving twice as fast as usual, Sakura could not simply attack straight on. Kabuto's chakra scalpel was still a threat, and Sakura's healing abilities were not up to reattaching a severed arm. Kabuto also revealed a surprising level of dexterity by forming one-handed seals that sent a swarm of semi-corporeal snakes streaking through the air to try and snare Sakura's limbs.

But Sakura was not to be deterred by such tricks. She was Death's avatar, equal parts speed and fury and implacable focus. Sakura shredded snake after snake while dancing around Kabuto, darting in for quick strikes and leaping back, throwing handfuls of poisoned senbon to prevent counterattacks.

Kabuto wasn't fast enough to dodge all of her attacks, and soon had a collection of deep gashes across his arms and torso. Any one of them should have pumped enough poison into his system to kill him, but his mysterious regeneration jutsu was apparently still going strong. The gashes themselves only lasted seconds before closing up. Sakura would cheerfully have sacrificed a limb to know the secret of that jutsu.

Enough flitting around like a mosquito. Sakura charged head-on, practically inviting a counter-thrust from Kabuto's chakra scalpel. He obliged, launching a straight jab that would rupture her heart if it connected. Sakura drew on all of her venom-aided speed and turned sideways, taking Kabuto's attack through the side of her stomach rather than her heart. The scalpel cut through armor, flesh, and organs with horrifying ease.

But Sakura had planned on this, and the complete lack of pain meant that nothing distracted her from stabbing both of Kabuto's arms with oversized senbon. She kept turning until her back was to Kabuto, and pulled forward, extending his arms via the stakes anchored in his flesh. From a distance, it probably looked like he was hugging her from behind – a grotesque mockery of intimacy.

Sakura could feel the rush of chakra pulsing through her modified chakra strings, which meant her medical jutsu was working. The cut through her stomach was healing at an accelerated pace, drawing on chakra taken from Shino's body.

For any normal shinobi this type of transfer would kill the donor before healing such extensive damage, but Shino could limit the damage to his own body by drawing on the chakra of his insect colonies. Choji and Gaara were also ideal partners for this jutsu, since they both possessed chakra far in excess of normal shinobi, though for different reasons.

This was Sakura's ultimate healing jutsu, and while it didn't come close to equaling Kabuto's, it was enough for her strategy to work. Kabuto was now off-balance, unable to move his arms, and completely at the mercy of Sakura's temporarily superior strength.

"Now, Shino!" Sakura shouted, aware of the precise direction of her teammate because she could sense the chakra strings connecting him to her.

An eerie, high-pitched whistle split the air, raising the hair on Sakura's neck briefly. It grew louder and louder until it was upon her – there was no time to dodge, even if she'd wanted to. An arrow fully a meter long – Shino called it a Whistler, and it relied on an advanced Wind Seal worked into the shaft to achieve incredible speeds – slammed through Kabuto's torso and carried through to stab Sakura in the gut. The two of them were skewered like two pieces of meat, neither able to move an inch.

Kabuto opened his mouth to speak, but only blood came out.

"Just wait, asshole," Sakura spat, sensing the slight vibrations from the ground beneath her feet. "That's nothing compared to what happens next."

Since Sakura was just as trapped as Kabuto, she couldn't turn around to take in the alarming sight of a giant rust-red scorpion emerging from the earth behind Kabuto, burrowing through rock and packed dirt as easily as it tunneled through the desert sand of Suna. Sakura did, however, hear Kabuto's agonized whimper when the scorpion's stinger, almost as long as the blade of a katana, stabbed him in the neck, at the top of the spinal cord.

Sakura chopped off the end of the arrow that bound her to Kabuto, drawing deeply on Shino's chakra reserves to expel the arrowhead embedded in her gut and close the gaping wound. The damage wasn't likely to be lethal to her or Shino, but they would both be in bad shape for at least a week after this fight – a decent trade, Sakura knew, if they managed to live out the day.

Finally, Sakura was able to turn around and see her handiwork. The unkillable Kabuto, the veritable cockroach of the shinobi world, had foot-long senbon through his arms and an arrow shaft thick as a javelin through his torso. Towering over him was a Ninja Scorpion of enormous size, which was currently pumping as much paralytic venom as it could into Kabuto's system. Kabuto was frozen stiff, his face locked in a rictus of pain and shock.

"Thanks for the help, Yakitori!" Sakura waved cheerfully to the giant scorpion. Yakitori was _much_ easier to get along with than Elder Obikiri – all she asked was a good fight, and some raw meat when opportunity arose. She was also sneaky as hell, usually answering summons by appearing underground, where she'd wait in order to catch enemies unawares.

"This human is strange," the scorpion replied, and the breathy, feminine voice sounded quite odd coming from such a hulking, deadly creature. "I've expended enough venom to overload the nervous systems of ten woolly mammoths, yet he's still alive."

"But he _is_ immobilized, right?" Sakura confirmed.

"Oh yes. I can't keep wasting venom indefinitely, but your little friend won't so much as twitch while I've got him like this. I can give you at least an hour."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. She had been beginning to think that Kabuto was truly immortal. But now he was at their mercy, and keeping him alive might serve her purposes better than killing him.

"Shino, could you keep an eye on him, please?"

Her unflappable partner appeared by her side, the Sandstorm armor even more effective than his usual high-collared jackets at hiding his expression. Nothing in his bearing showed that he was currently dealing with chakra depletion that would have killed a lesser shinobi.

"Affirmative. I… feel compelled to congratulate you. That was an inspired strategy, though I did not enjoy the necessity of shooting you in the back. I assume you're going to use his life as a bargaining chip to convince his teammates to cease hostilities?"

"You assume correctly," Sakura said, as brightly as she could given the circumstances. "Back in a flash. You just make sure this bastard doesn't move a muscle. If he so much as twitches, well... he shouldn't be able to make too much trouble without his head."

oOoOo

Shikamaru did not see this fight ending well. Without a doubt, Kimimaro was the strongest Oto shinobi entered in the Exams, and probably one of the strongest shinobi, period. Shikamaru and Choji were no slouches, but both were unable to use the majority of their clan techniques, in case the Uchiha had some way of monitoring fights occurring near the Tower.

At first, the two friends were able to hold their own. Kimimaro's bone swords, though freaky and intimidating as hell, were not hard enough to penetrate their Sandstorm armor with anything less than a point-blank thrust.

Things looked even brighter when Choji drew on his enormous chakra reserves to increase the weight and power of his armor. The next time Kimimaro closed with him, Choji met his opponent's bone sword with his armored fist. The _crack_ of shattering bone was music to Shikamaru's ears – even sweeter was the look of astonishment on the enemy shinobi's pale face.

"I have never met an attack capable of withstanding my technique, let alone breaking it, Kimimaro admitted. "I commend you."

But there was no time to pat themselves on the back, because Kimimaro chose that moment to transform into a monster. Black lines zigzagged alarmingly across his skin, and then his skin itself began to change, becoming rough and leathery and turning dark. He even sprouted a _tail_, for heaven's sake, and sharp ridges of bone jutted out of his skin to make him look like some kind of dinosaur.

Shikamaru's mind was working on overdrive, but there simply wasn't _time_! There were doubtless ways to neutralize Kimimaro's kekkei genkai – there _must_ be – but Shikamaru couldn't think of one as he dodged frantically to avoid the carpet of sharp spikes shooting up from the earth. Shikamaru's armor had built-in Seals with attacks channeling all five Elements, but he couldn't think of a single combination that would stand against the full might of Kimimaro's kekkei genkai. Shikamaru could gamble and use his Shadow Possession, but he had the sneaking suspicion that with his Curse Seal activated, Kimimaro wouldn't stay trapped. Perhaps for the first time since his parents had been killed before his eyes, Shikamaru felt helpless.

Kimimaro in his new form was mind-bogglingly fast, but that wasn't what determined the course of the battle. Instead, it was his ability to change the terrain according to his will. Shikamaru was hesitant to take to the trees, owing to the growing number of Deidara's creatures waiting there, but the ground belonged to Kimimaro. Bone spikes grew and shifted and hunted Shikamaru like a dog.

He managed to evade them for a few minutes more, long enough to meet up with Choji and launch a desperate dual attack against the monster that Kimimaro had become. Shikamaru activated seals built into his armor, which triggered elemental jutsu in both of his palms, wreathing them in shrouds of flame and lightning. At his side, Choji diverted all of his speed and power into a single attack. They let out twin cries of rage and launched themselves at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro's tail caught Shikamaru full across the chest, knocking him yards away. Bones sprouted like tree roots around him, anchoring his hands and feet – and then spikes shot upward from the ground, piercing Shikamaru's armor and driving through his wrists and ankles. It was more painful than anything Shikamaru had ever experienced, but it paled in comparison to the agony of knowing that he could do nothing except watch Choji fight on alone.

Choji and Kimimaro met with a tremendous _crash_. Choji's armored fist stopped short, inches from Kimimaro's face, but unable to close the distance. Kimimaro crouched before Choji, a lance of bone sprouting from his arm and extending a full yard out of Choji's back. Kimimaro straightened, lifting the impaled Akimichi with his weapon so that his feet dangled impotently in midair.

Shikamaru only realized he was screaming when he bit his tongue and his mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood.

Kimimaro tossed Choji aside like so much trash. Then he rounded on Shikamaru, advancing with the slow, measured pace of a deadly predator. "You brought this upon yourself," Kimimaro growled, raising his arm to deliver the final blow.

"STOP!" Sakura's desperate cry brought Kimimaro to a halt. The pink-haired kunoichi stood at the edge of the boneyard, arms outstretched.

"You wish to beg for your teammate's life?" Kimimaro asked in a bored tone.

"Not to beg," Sakura corrected in a voice like ice. "To bargain. Harm another of my friends, and your teammate with the glasses dies soon after."

"You're bluffing," Kimimaro laughed. "Kabuto would never lose to the likes of you."

"See for yourself," Sakura declared, gesturing to where her fight had taken place. It was over fifty yards away, but Kabuto's limp form was clearly visible, as were Shino and the outline of the giant scorpion keeping Kabuto paralyzed. "Your teammate is one hell of a medic, but he doesn't have the combat skill to go with it. So, here's the only question that matters: is the life of your comrade worth the lives of mine?"

"You know the answer to that question, Kimimaro!" another voice chimed in. Shikamaru craned his head as far as he was able, watching the third member of Kimimaro's team approaching. Behind the hooded kunoichi, Ino and Kiba were laid out next to each other on the ground, unconscious or dead. Shikamaru hoped with all his might that his teammates were still alive, and cursed himself for being too weak to help them.

If Sakura got them out of this situation alive, Shikamaru promised himself, he would never let a situation like this happen again. He would be smart enough to stop it. He would be strong enough. Never… never again.

"Orochimaru needs Kabuto alive more than he needs these Suna fools dead," the Oto kunoichi said, approaching Kimimaro fearlessly and getting right up in his face. "Cut a deal, Kimimaro."

Kimimaro literally shook with rage, but Shikamaru knew the threat had passed when the Oto shinobi morphed back into his human self. The makeshift boneyard disappeared as well, even the bones that had kept Shikamaru pinned to the earth like an insect on a card. Without the bones keeping his wounds closed, the blood began to flow in earnest, and Shikamaru struggled to stay conscious.

"So how does this work?" the mystery kunoichi asked Sakura, keeping an appraising eye on Kimimaro. "I, for one, wouldn't be all that miffed if you chopped Kabuto up into little pieces, but my partner here would take that as an excuse to start fighting all over again. It's in everyone's best interests to avoid that."

"Here's what happens," Sakura said, using the Body-Flicker jutsu to appear next to Choji and then Shikamaru. She picked them up, armor and all, without any apparent effort. His brain fogged from trauma and blood loss, Shikamaru found himself wondering where she'd gotten the strength. There was something hovering at the edge of his consciousness, but he couldn't make it stay still…

"_I_ take my teammates over to the Tower," Sakura continued. "_You_ stay right the hell where you are – don't move, don't speak, don't even breathe. My scorpion friend will remain right where she is, and believe me, that stinger is more than capable of carving your friend into little slices before you can reach him. _After_ we activate our scrolls and leave the Forest, the scorpion will disappear. At that point, you can build a bonfire and roast marshmallows, for all I care. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Kimimaro snapped. "Get out of my sight."

"With pleasure," Sakura said, jumping away. She moved faster than she normally did, even with two shinobi larger than she was slung over her shoulders. Shikamaru's vision was almost completely black by now, but he heard Sakura's shrill cry, and Shino's answering shout.

He forced himself to keep his eyes open until he saw Shino dragging Ino and Kiba by means of a hastily contrived rope harness. Sakura joined Shino, and in seconds all six remaining Sandstorm members were at the entrance to the Tower.

"Ack-" Shikamaru's throat was too dry for speech. He swallowed, and tried again. "Ga- Gaara's going to be _pissed_…"

Sakura made a soothing sound, glad that Shikamaru couldn't see the brittle rage in her eyes. "You just rest, Shikamaru."

"This isn't over, Suna scum!" Kimimaro called out from across the clearing.

Sakura and Shino opened two Earth scrolls and two Heaven scrolls, and the ensuing cloud of smoke blocked the Oto shinobi from view. "You bet your ass this isn't over!" Sakura yelled. "The only question left is which of us gets the pleasure of killing you. Your bones won't protect you forever, you pasty freak!"

Something that Sakura said sparked a thought in Shikamaru's addled brain.

_Bones… Sakura… that's it!_

He needed to tell her his realization, but before he could, darkness swept in and obliterated all thought.

oOoOo

After the scorpion disappeared, Hinata and Kimimaro were alone in the clearing. Without the giant stinger keeping him upright, Kabuto fell flat on his face, the vestiges of the scorpion's poison still immobilizing him.

Hinata let out a scathing peal of laughter that reminded Kimimaro just a little of his master. "I will treasure the memories of this Exam forever," Hinata declared. "How many times has Kabuto gotten his ass kicked so far? I've lost count. I'm not sure if I like the scorpion better, or the time Kabuto got run through by a former Hokage _he_ summoned."

"I will admit, Kabuto has proven to be something of a disappointment," Kimimaro said tightly. "After this mission is over and we return to Grass Country, I will strongly recommend that Orochimaru rethink his reliance on him."

They both knew why Kabuto was too valuable to kill now – he was the only one capable of reproducing Orochimaru's modified Curse Seal. Without him alive and well when the Invasion started, the Sealed shinobi of Konoha would be forced to fight their liberators or risk retribution from the Uchiha. So while Hinata viewed Kabuto about the same as she would a rabid dog, she needed him.

"Don't worry about those Sandstorm kids," Hinata said after a moment. "Honestly, they didn't do anything wrong. Dosu and his goons were a disgrace to Orochimaru's name, and _you_ know it."

Kimimaro growled. "Don't push your luck, student of the Sannin. Those arrogant fools will still die by my hand. If not during the Tournament, then after."

Hinata shrugged. "Whatever you say, 'Maro. Come on, let's collect the cockroach and get out of here. I don't know about you, but I've had about all I can stand of this Forest. Deidara's creatures are getting restless, too."

With Kabuto still locked in rigor mortis, Kimimaro and Hinata activated their own scrolls in the shadow of the Tower entrance. Moments later they were gone, and silence reigned in the Forest of Death.

**End of Part 6**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: **Hey all! Today I had an epiphany, which went as follows: I'm working too damn hard at a boring and thankless job, and my writing is suffering. The second part isn't news to you guys, because of my all-too-frequent multiple-month breaks between updates. But I've decided to do something about it, and make a pledge to those of my readers who have followed this story over the long course of the last three years.

Here it is: I am instituting a **weekly update schedule** for _Rise of the Uchiha_. Every **Sunday by midnight, Singapore time**, I will upload one chapter, come hell or high water. I hope that a self-imposed deadline will keep this story from stagnating, and help readers stay interested in the storyline as we approach the final struggle. Some weeks I may fail (for example, when I have to grade 80 Midterm essays over the course of one week), but if so, the chapter will go up as soon as possible with an explanation for why the delay was necessary. I'm sure I have lost many readers over the last three years because of my erratic updating, and I want to do my best to make sure I don't lose any more of you.

Now I'm going to ask for your help. _Rise_ is close to a milestone that I never dreamed it might reach: 1000 reviews. Let's try to hit that milestone this chapter. Take a moment to say something, anything – who should triumph in the end, for example, or a favorite moment, or a character I should have written better. I'm going to update weekly no matter what, of course (because authors who keep chapters hostage are demonspawn), but finally hitting that 1000-review milestone would be a huge source of inspiration and determination for me in the face of dreaded bouts of writer's block. As of my last count, over 800 people have this story on their Alerts list – less than 10% of you reviewing would make my dream come true :)

So that's it: one promise and one request. For the Preliminary chapters, note that I switch points of view a few times, and that not everyone knows the identity of other contestants (many are wearing masks and/or armor). The sort-of bad news: you'll have to be alert readers to keep track of who knows what, according to the point of view I'm writing from. The good news: I get to use Sandstorm's codenames!

Without any further ado, let's get down to the serious business of Preliminary bouts.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Part 7: The Countdown to War**

**Chapter 40**

Naruto was _very_ surprised at the number of shinobi gathered in the main arena of the Tower. The contingent of Military Police he expected, although he was surprised to see his foster father there in person. Apparently Madara wanted to greet the survivors of the Forest of Death personally.

But what Naruto hadn't expected was the large number of survivors. The Forest of Death was meant to be the final test before the Final Tournament, which was open to the public. Eight contestants fought before the assembled visitors, for the glory of being the last one standing.

But by Naruto's count, _eighteen_ shinobi had passed through the Forest after collecting Heaven and Earth scrolls. A tournament with eighteen shinobi would take far too long, and it would lack the dramatic tension of a smaller tournament with eight finalists.

Six full teams stood in ranks in the very center of the arena, waiting to see what Madara would decide to do. Naruto looked around at the competition, wondering which of the others he might have to fight.

There were two Sandstorm teams present, their gleaming armor doing an excellent job of concealing their physical condition. For all Naruto knew they could be bleeding out from mortal wounds, or they could be fresh as daisies.

Then there was the team of Swordsmen from Kiri. They, at least, bore the unmistakable signs of a serious fight. Their clothes showed hard wear from the days roughing it in the Forest, and Naruto saw several slashes and tears that he thought came from swords or edged weapons of some kind.

Naruto was glad that Lee and his teammates had survived. Neji and Tenten looked none the worse for wear. Lee, on the other hand, looked like death warmed over. He kept himself straight as a post through sheer force of will, but it was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that he was recovering from chakra exhaustion. Naruto guessed that the Sealed genin had been forced to open a number of the Celestial Gates, which always took a toll on Lee's body.

The team from Otogakure was next in line, and Naruto stifled a snarl at the sight of them. Kabuto, the regenerating bastard, had used some kind of Seal to keep Naruto from being able to access the Kyuubi's chakra. Whatever the Seal was, it did its work well. Naruto couldn't even access his mindscape to assess the damage. Until he had a chance to consult with Madara and some qualified medic-nin, that wasn't likely to change.

Thanks to Kabuto's technique, Naruto was limited to his sharingan and his normal techniques, like Shadow Clones and Wind Release jutsu. He wasn't defenseless by any means, but his offensive options were severely limited. Naruto only hoped he'd have a chance to fight Kabuto again after regaining control over his demon – he'd teach that son of a bitch not to mess with him! Somehow he doubted that Kabuto would be able to regenerate after Naruto fed his chakra to the Kyuubi.

Naruto, Akemi, and Takeshi were the sixth and final team, lined up farthest to the left. He had no doubt that they looked like they felt: shitty. All three were suffering the aftereffects of chakra exhaustion, Naruto was cut off from the Kyuubi, and Takeshi had been _blinded_, for Kami's sake. But they were not beaten.

"Congratulations to all of you," Madara's voice echoed across the chamber. Naruto's foster father walked away from the squadron of Military Police officers, coming to a stop in front of the assembled genin. He commanded the attention of everyone there, effortlessly dominating the room. Naruto could only wish that he would learn someday how to attain that sense of presence. "You have passed many trials, proving yourselves the strongest shinobi of the next generation. You make your leaders proud!"

The jounin senseis assembled around the gallery one floor up murmured their agreement. Naruto did not see Fugaku among them, but he wasn't surprised. Their relationship had cooled considerably since the mission to Amegakure eighteen months ago. Naruto's squad no longer had a jounin sensei, and even though that was considered normal for members of the Military Police, Naruto still felt the lack keenly. Guy-sensei, in true Guy fashion, was cheering for his students and weeping openly.

"But we have a problem that must be addressed," Madara continued. "Your skill and courage had the unforeseen side effect of leaving us with too many finalists. Before we leave this Tower, we must remedy that. Therefore I am declaring an ad-hoc Preliminary Round, which will consist of one-on-one battles until only eight genin remain. The battles will start immediately."

Naruto was not the only one surprised by this announcement. They were to start fighting _now_?! Naruto's team was all injured, and he doubted that many of the other teams were operating at full power.

But after thinking about it for a while, he had to admit that there was a sort of logic to it. Teams that had won through the Forest of Death with fewer injuries would have an advantage in these Preliminaries, and that was fairer than it seemed at first. Shinobi who completed their missions without harming their operational readiness certainly deserved more praise than shinobi who accomplished their objectives, but got so beat up that they needed extended recovery time.

Not only that, but when were battles between shinobi ever fair? Naruto wasn't looking forward to fighting in his condition, but he certainly wasn't about to back down. There were no excuses in the world of shinobi.

A display screen mounted on the second-floor balcony above Madara's head flickered to life. Mug shots of the eighteen Preliminary finalists flickered into life on the screen, then began changing at high speeds until Naruto felt a bit dizzy.

When the images froze, Naruto saw his own face next to Rock Lee's.

_Damn it,_ Naruto thought disgustedly, _I wanted Kabuto!_

Fighting Lee would have been fun under any other circumstances, but Naruto would have preferred to fight an enemy before a friend.

"Uchiha Naruto versus Rock Lee," Madara intoned, without the slightest hint in his voice that he might be invested in any way in the outcome. "All other finalists and spectators please ascend to the gallery on the second floor to watch the match. As an unbiased kunoichi from a village with no genin represented in these Preliminaries, Konan will act as referee."

Soon it was just Lee and Naruto facing each other on the arena floor, with the creepily silent kunoichi from Ame standing a ways to the side. The red cloud designs on her black cloak looked like pools of fresh blood.

"You all right?" Naruto asked Lee. Exhaustion was written all over his friend's face, and showed in the unnatural leadenness of his stance.

Lee reacted to Naruto's words as if they were a mortal insult. His spine straightened and determination kindled in his eyes. "Never doubt my Fires of Youth, Naruto! I will show you exactly how 'all right' I am!"

"Fine with me," Naruto grinned. He took a few deep breaths, centering himself with a chakra control exercise he often used before drawing on the Kyuubi's power. This time, though, he was just trying to relax.

"Begin," Konan said, her quiet voice somehow reaching to every corner of the arena, and the gallery above.

Lee had evidently taken off his weights, because his opening attack was devastatingly fast. Naruto had activated his sharingan, however, and met Lee's taijutsu barrage with his own. He might not have the enhanced speed granted by the Kyuubi's power, but the sharingan's predictive abilities would be enough to let him hold his own… he hoped.

As the two friends traded blows, Naruto felt his anxiety and fear receding. He had a lot of worries: the future of the village, his injured teammates, the murdered Cadets in the Forest… But this fight was simple, even pure. There were no dark undercurrents here, only a friendly rivalry and a mutual enjoyment in the search for excellence.

Lee began to grin with exhilaration, and Naruto found that he was doing the same.

"I respect you, Naruto," Lee said, surprising Naruto with his sudden gravity. "Perhaps more than I respect Neji, and maybe even as much as Guy-sensei. The vision you have for Konoha is one I pray I may live to see fulfilled."

"You will!" Naruto promised, dodging fluidly to avoid a roundhouse kick that would have taken off his head. "We'll make a better Konoha together!"

"Perhaps." Lee came to a stop for a moment, allowing both of them to catch their breaths. "I'm not very smart, Naruto. Not like Neji, or even Guy-sensei, who is as crafty as a fox. But with the strength of my conviction, I turned my body into a weapon far exceeding its limits. Those who said it was impossible for a boy with underdeveloped chakra coils to become a ninja… well, I bet they're the same people who would say that improving life in Konoha is impossible. If I can change my body, and train it to conquer the impossible – why not change the world? Come, Naruto. Let us use our fists to make the world a better place!"

Naruto felt his own spirits rise in response to Lee's burning optimism. The faith that the Sealed shinobi had in him almost brought him to tears.

"You got it, Lee!"

Naruto had been planning to use his sharingan to take Lee out with a genjutsu, since his opponent had no defense against them. After that speech, however, Naruto wouldn't dream of it. Just because shinobi were _expected_ to be sneaky and underhanded didn't mean that they had to be. Naruto would fight only with taijutsu – his activated sharingan would offset Lee's advantage in speed and strength, making this fight as close to fair as a duel between two shinobi ever could be.

This fight was about honor, a pact between two friends, more than it was about who would go on to fight in the finals. Maybe that was naïve of Naruto, or worse, a failure to exploit every advantage to achieve his objective... but right now he couldn't care less.

Of the two of them, Lee had sustained slightly more damage in the Forest. However many Gates he had been forced to open, his current stamina was sorely affected. He began to flag, while Naruto's hard-earned stamina told more and more as the fight stretched on.

Using his sharingan's predictive ability, Naruto turned a last-minute dodge into a spinning kick that swept Lee's legs out from under him. A punishing blow to Lee's jaw knocked the green-clad genin unconscious. Naruto's muscles were quivering with the strain, but the fight was over.

_Don't worry, Lee, _Naruto thought. _The real battle is yet to come… and when it does, we'll be fighting together!_

After Konan called the match, Naruto picked up Lee and jumped to the balcony. He handed Lee over to Guy-sensei, who took charge of his student with the utmost care.

"A most youthful battle," Guy sobbed. "Your flames burned brightly for all to see!"

"Take care of him, please," Naruto said with a grin. "We've got work to do once these ridiculous Exams are over!"

The spectators turned expectant gazes once again to the screen, waiting to see who would fight in the second round. The first image to resolve was a picture of Takeshi, though his red eyes were a sad reminder of what he'd lost. The second picture was of a Sandstorm shinobi, face hidden by the dark helmet.

"Uchiha Takeshi," Madara announced, "and… Sandman."

"_Sandman?_" Akemi scoffed, eyeing the six Sandstorm genin assembled on the other side of the balcony. "What kind of a name is that?"

"Probably a code name," Takeshi shrugged. "Like the Third Hokage's ANBU agents used to use before the Reclamation: you know, Dog, Rat, and other animal names."

"If Sandman is the dude who can control sand – which seems likely – you'd better be careful, Takeshi!" Naruto warned. His clones hadn't lasted more than a second when they ran into this 'Sandman' in Sasori's maze.

Naruto offered his warning as if he couldn't care less what Takeshi did, but he was actually very concerned. Takeshi couldn't see, and he hadn't even had a day to accustom himself to being blind. Despite his bluster, Naruto didn't see how Takeshi could even fight, let alone hold his own against a high-level shinobi. But Naruto knew Takeshi very well – the half-blood wasn't touchy like Akemi, but he had a proud streak that ran deep. If Naruto suggested that Takeshi give up, his teammate would never forgive him.

"I'm always careful," Takeshi said wryly. Then he launched himself over the railing, with Hinamaru close behind. Takeshi landed heavily, but kept his balance.

Naruto heard the mutters spread, as finalists and assembled spectators noticed the golden, sightless orbs that Takeshi's eyes had become. He glared at all of them equally, wordlessly daring someone, anyone to underestimate his teammate.

"Are you sure you want to fight?" Konan asked blankly, as the Sandstorm shinobi floated down into the arena on a wave of sand that came from a gourd strapped to his back.

Takeshi and Hinamaru snarled as one. "Please don't waste my time with stupid questions," spat Takeshi.

"Very well. The second match of the Preliminaries will begin… now."

"You are very brave," said the Suna genin calling himself Sandman. Naruto got the impression that he was very young, maybe no older than Naruto himself. "But I wonder what you hope to accomplish here? There is no shame in retiring from the field after suffering a debilitating injury."

"A shinobi does not always have the luxury of retreating," Takeshi said. "If I am truly unfit to remain a warrior of the Uchiha clan, best I find that out here and now."

"I must disagree," said Sandman. "Losing here might mean losing your life as well."

"If you can take it," Takeshi snarled, "then you're welcome to it! Hinamaru, _Dynamic Marking!_"

Naruto laughed out loud as the ninja hound became a swirling white blur, generating ever-widening spirals of yellow liquid at an alarming rate.

The floor was liberally splattered with piss, and Sandman's sand had to contract and form a shield to keep the liquid from splashing against the pristine armor.

"That's gross, Takeshi!" Naruto called out from the balcony, laughter bubbling up in his voice.

Takeshi twitched at the sound of his teammate's voice, but aside from a small grin he didn't respond. "Now the arena is marked with Hinamaru's scent, and even your sand is saturated with it. I do not need my eyes to fight you, not when I can track the movement of your sand with my sense of smell."

Takeshi popped a soldier pill in his mouth, and then activated his _Gatsuuga_ technique. Working with Hinamaru, he began a series of strafing runs that tested the speed of Sandman's defense.

Unfortunately, he was not fast enough to reach the armored Suna genin. The sand was simply too quick, and although Takeshi and Hinamaru drilled through it with ease, the time it took allowed Sandman to reposition himself.

Sandman's questing counterattacks failed, however, which Naruto was glad to see. The concentrated scent that had soaked into the sand was doubtless better than a burning torch to Takeshi's sensitive nose, allowing him to escape each grasping tendril.

But not even Takeshi's determination could allow him to overcome the effects of chakra exhaustion. The soldier pill provided a boost, but after four minutes of maintaining their _Gatsuuga_ techniques, Takeshi and Hinamaru were spent.

They stopped the technique and stood side-by-side in the center of the arena, unwilling to back down. Sandman wasted no time, splitting the majority of his sand into two curved walls that reached out to circle around Takeshi from both sides.

Naruto shouted out in dismay as the sand began to block his teammate from view. If Takeshi was caught by that sand as it snapped shut, there was no way he'd survive!

"Here goes nothing, Hinamaru…" Takeshi's voice was muffled by the obstructing sand. Naruto caught one last glimpse of golden eyes, burning with an unearthly light, before the wall of sand closed completely and cut off Takeshi and his hound from view.

The first sign that something strange was happening was the rumbling, as the smooth floor of the arena began to shake and quiver. Then a surge of chakra registered, and the prison of sand burst outward, destroyed by an irresistible force.

It wasn't an explosion that had dispersed Sandman's trap – it was an expanding sphere of lava, emanating from Takeshi and Hinamaru's bodies. They glowed like molten golden statues in the heart of the inferno.

"What the hell?" Akemi breathed. In her concern for her friend, she didn't realize that she was clutching Naruto's arm hard enough to bruise.

_Is that… Lava Release?_ Naruto thought. _Takeshi uses the Fire and Earth elements, but it takes a kekkei genkai to combine them..._

Then Naruto remembered the end of their fight with Roshi, and that terrible blast of light. What if Roshi's demon had dispersed all at once upon the death of its host, and its chakra somehow… _saturated_ Takeshi and Hinamaru? They were right in the middle of the massive dispersion of chakra, after all, with their eyes open. Who knew what really happened when a Tailed Beast separated from its slain host, after all? The golden sheen of their eyes was certainly weird as hell… maybe it was a symbol of how they'd been changed.

Whatever the reason, Naruto had never been happier. Takeshi had not been crushed to death, and now proved to be able to manipulate the lava scorching the air around him.

The widening sphere of lava shaped itself into a giant boar spear, complete with a cross-piece below the wicked-looking blade. Sandman disappeared as he gathered his sand around his body in a protective cocoon. The sand hardened, becoming darker and denser in preparation for Takeshi's attack.

The spear of lava hurtled through the air and impacted Sandman's defense. It penetrated the outer shell, and came to rest a second later.

_Did it get him? _Naruto's hands were clenched in tense fists at his sides.

The sand crumbled away, revealing an armor-clad figure impaled by the spear. The armor around the spear's molten tip was cherry-red, curling away from the intense heat. The spear hadn't gone very far through the armor, but Naruto couldn't see how a weapon made of freaking _lava_ could fail to work some serious internal damage, no matter how shallow the wound.

"Go Takeshi!" he cried… only to fall silent when the lava lost its shape, falling to the floor and cooling rapidly. Takeshi and Hinamaru had reached the end of their strength. Directing the lava into that final attack left them exhausted. Takeshi slumped to the ground, eyes rolling up in his head, and Hinamaru flopped over his human companion like a furry rug.

And Sandman? Naruto cursed when the Suna genin took one step forward, then another, distancing himself from the puddle of lava still eating its way through the polished floor.

"Call the match," he called out, voice raspy with pain yet still clear and strong. "He is finished."

"The winner is Sandman," Konan agreed, while Akemi glowered at Takeshi's opponent. Naruto, on the other hand, was merely glad that Takeshi had survived.

Now he would have time to experiment further with his newfound lava technique after he healed… and _that_ was something Naruto couldn't wait to see.

Akemi and Naruto jumped down into the arena to gather up Takeshi and Hinamaru. On the way they passed Sandman, who bowed respectfully to both of them. "A most surprising and impressive fight," he said, sounding sincere. "Were your teammate to fight me at full strength, I would not be surprised if the outcome changed greatly. I had the good fortune to be fresh for today's fight."

Akemi snorted, and was about to say something rude when Naruto stamped on her foot. "No need to be sore losers," he said. "Good manners don't cost anything."

As expected, Akemi swore at him instead. Naruto gave Sandman a wry grin, and thought he saw the Suna genin pause, as if giving him a considering look.

"First me, then Takeshi," Naruto observed to Akemi as they reached the balcony. "IF the pattern continues, you'll be up next!"

A superior officer with the insignia of a Captain on his Military Police uniform came over to take charge of Takeshi and bring him to the medical ward nearby. Now that Takeshi's battle was over, he was entitled to some _serious_ medical care.

"I hope I'm next," Akemi growled. "There are a few punks here I wouldn't mind killing."

The meaningful stare she sent at the Oto team made her point eloquently.

Unhappily for Akemi, she would have to wait a while longer. The matchup on the screen showed Neji and the hooded kunoichi from Otogakure, whom Madara announced as Miko, without a family name.

"Come on, Neji!" Naruto cheered. "Kick her ass!"

The hooded kunoichi twitched, moving as if to look up at Naruto, then stopping the motion a split second later.

"How does she even see?" Akemi grumped. "I still don't get that…"

"You just saw Takeshi kick ass blind," Naruto pointed out reasonably. "And those Oto shinobi _are_ famous for sound manipulation. Maybe she relies on her hearing. You're just bitter that she and her teammates handed us our asses."

Akemi hissed like an angry cat, but there wasn't much she could say to that. She knew Naruto was every bit as angry about that fight as she was, even if he kept it from showing.

"Don't worry too much," Naruto said. "Neji's got this. He's a genius, after all… he'll see through her tricks."

oOoOo

_He'll see right through me!_

Hinata practically quivered with nervous tension as she watched Neji. Her hood had been treated with an advanced Seal that blocked enemy byakugan while allowing hers to work – it was almost like a one-way mirror, but keyed to her kekkei genkai. It was the result of four months of work on Jiraiya's part, all aimed at a successful infiltration. Thanks to that, no Sealed Hyuuga would be able to see Hinata's white eyes, yet she could still use her byakugan from underneath her hood.

It was an entirely different matter, however, to conceal the influences of the jyuuken style on her fighting technique. For a Hyuuga as talented as Neji, it would be child's play to recognize someone schooled in the flowing, deadly elegance of the Gentle Fist style.

Hinata would have to win this fight without ever betraying a familiarity with Neji's style. Certainly possible, but it would require considerable cunning, and the cost might be high. Then again, the cost of failure was much worse. Hinata would win this fight. She _had_ to win.

"I'm not surprised that your team came through unfazed," Neji said, bowing first to her and then to Konan. "The three of you gave an impression of great strength before the First Exam… I am glad to see that my impression was correct."

Hinata said nothing. What could she say, after all? She readied herself, letting her silence speak for her.

"Begin," Konan commanded.

Neji charged her immediately, palm extended for a jyuuken strike. Hinata lunged forward as if she, too, meant to fight in close quarters, only to activate the Shadow Snake Hands jutsu that was her preferred low-level mid-range technique. The snakes darted towards Neji's wrists, hoping to snare him, but the Hyuuga genius broke away and retreated out of range.

"You know of my clan's abilities," Neji said slowly, with the tone of someone thinking out loud. "Or at least, you know enough not to fight me up close."

Hinata grunted, neither confirmation nor denial. Her next attack was a punch that utilized Tsunade's signature strength-enhancing chakra control, shattering the floor and sending a shock-wave towards Neji. Hinata had the chakra control to become a decent medic, but she had focused only on destructive techniques during her time with the Slug Sannin. She now had enough power to shatter rock... and that was before she combined Tsunade's superpowered taijutsu with the techniques of her clan.

Neji escaped once more, and tested her defenses with a brace of exploding tags.

She dodged the blast radius with a Body-Flicker jutsu, appearing on the other side of the arena. Neji anticipated that, however, and positioned himself closer with a Body-Flicker of his own.

"_Heavenly Rotation!_"

He began to spin while still moving forward, revealing a modification on the Hyuuga defense technique that Hinata had never seen before. Somehow he managed to keep his forward momentum while rotating, so that the spinning wall of chakra became a deadly weapon propelling itself towards Hinata. She used a hasty Doton jutsu she'd learned from Orochimaru – she opened her mouth and spewed out mud that hardened into a makeshift wall.

Neji's kaiten blew the jutsu to smithereens, but it absorbed much of the force of the attack. The residue of the blast alone knocked Hinata halfway across the arena, but she was unharmed.

_It's time… I need more power if I'm going to end this quickly._

Hinata surrendered to the call of her Curse Mark. She opened herself to it, drinking deep and relishing the painful ecstasy of power rushing through her. Covered as she was from head to toe, she doubted that the spectators noticed the black lines spreading like a living tattoo across her skin. They _did_ notice the surge of chakra she generated, though.

"That's much better," she purred, her voice twisted into something unrecognizable even to her own ears. What an amazing rush! Hinata felt like laughing.

Neji took a step back, clearly reevaluating her threat level. Hinata, for her part, was ready to end this fight. She took off after Neji, alternating her Shadow Snake technique with a barrage of destructive jutsu acquired from Jiraiya. Now she was faster and _considerably_ more powerful, and it was all Neji could do to avoid her attacks. He was clearly on the defensive, unable to muster the speed necessary for a counterattack.

As she chased Neji across the arena, Hinata's anger built like a fire banking slowly in a bed of coals. Neji was a member of the branch family – his relatives were directly responsible for giving Madara the secret of the Curse Seal. If not for the branch family, Konoha might never have been enslaved.

As for Neji himself, he had ignored Hinata all her life. First when she was a child, the lonely heiress to the clan, and then when she was a slave in Madara's Tower. Not a single kind word had escaped Neji's lips. He thought he was _so_ special, the genius of the Hyuuga clan, who far surpassed his lowly cousin. He had been honing his skills for years in the field, while Hinata had been mopping floors and cleaning dishes in the servants' quarters of Madara's Tower. It wasn't _fair!_

Hinata's rage grew and grew, feeding the strength of her techniques.

Finally came the moment she'd been waiting for. Neji stopped dodging, and instead activated his Heavenly Rotation technique while staying in place. Hinata's Shadow Snakes hit the spinning blue shield and dissipated instantly.

That was when Hinata charged, gathering chakra and focusing it all in her right fist. She combined Tsunade's strength technique with her knowledge of the Hyuuga blind spot, determining the exact moment to strike.

Her punch was supported by all of her enhanced strength, aimed with inhuman precision, and as it collided with Neji's technique a massive shockwave was generated by the impact. For a moment Hinata experienced massive resistance, as she grappled with the momentum of Neji's technique for supremacy. But Hinata continued to strain with all of her fury and chakra, until, at last, she felt something shatter.

Neji's technique dispelled in a flash of blue light, and the force of the rotation turned inward. Neji suffered the brunt of the backlash, and the might of his redirected jutsu knocked him unconscious.

_I have surpassed you, cousin!_ Hinata exulted._ Die now, and know that it was I who killed you! _

Hinata gloried in her victory, the very blood in her veins singing with savage joy. She raised her hand for the killing blow, closing the distance to Neji's limp form in a fraction of a second.

"_Stop! The fight is over!_"

At first Konan's voice registered as a mere buzzing, like that of a mosquito. A second later the words filtered through Hinata's brain, and she pulled up short. She looked from her fist, outstretched for a final strike, to Neji, stretched out unconscious on the ground.

Reality sank in, and Hinata recoiled in horror. Had she really been about to kill Neji?! He was her cousin, and a fellow shinobi of Konoha. What had she done?

Hinata shook her head rapidly, as if she could shake away her dark thoughts.

_It's the Curse Seal making me think these things, _Hinata insisted to herself, even as she wrestled to deactivate Orochimaru's Seal. _It's just the Curse Seal… I can resist it. I can!_

But the memory of her exaltation, the sick satisfaction at the prospect of seeing Neji's blood fly, was far clearer in Hinata's mind than any other thought. That, and the knowledge that the Curse Seal was still there, always there, just waiting to be used…

"The winner is Miko from Otogakure," Konan announced, now that Hinata had ceased trying to kill Neji. "Stand by for the finalists in the fourth match."

Hinata silently rejoined her team, trying not to look at any of the spectators around her. She was afraid of what she might see in their faces. They could not see her thoughts any more than they could see her face, but Hinata's irrational fear remained – that they would look at her and see a monster.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: **First, thank you all for the wonderful reviews last chapter! They were really encouraging and constructive, with the possible exception of the anonymous review that read, "This chapter sucked balls and you should quit as an author." Oof – sounds like my English teacher from middle school (although my teacher was slightly more politically correct).

Here's what I have to say to you, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous Reviewer… thank you for your input. I have done my best to make sure that this chapter does not 'suck balls.' Also (as I should have told my teacher all those years ago), you're a butt-face, and I'll write if I want to. Neener-neener. That is all.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 41**

To say that Madara was not happy would be a gross understatement. He had planned these Chuunin Exams as a way to demonstrate Konoha's strength to the rest of the shinobi villages, and the result was… underwhelming, to say the least.

His son was one of the finalists, but Naruto's team had clearly suffered, and the half-blood who had exceeded all of Madara's hopes had lost his sharingan. Madara had wanted Naruto and his team to dominate the field, slaying the best genin the other villages could field and sending a clear message to the other Kages. Instead, the injuries his team had suffered were more likely to make the Uchiha look vulnerable.

Then there was Genji's team, the only other Uchiha Cadets to take the Exam. They had been strung up like common brigands or cattle thieves, and it made Madara livid. If they'd been alive Madara would probably order them killed for their incompetence. Not even their sharingan had been salvaged; in fact, their eyes had been destroyed with precise bursts of chakra, as a final insult to the Uchiha.

Of course these Exams were probably filled with upper-level shinobi in disguise – Madara had known that going in. He'd hoped that it would only increase Naruto's prestige when he destroyed shinobi of chuunin or even jounin level. The other Kages wouldn't even be able to complain without admitting that they had bent the rules.

But it seemed that Madara had underestimated the power of the other villages. That was worrisome, as it was a trait that Madara thought he'd outgrown. In the past, Madara had believed whole-heartedly in the utter superiority of the Uchiha. Their bloodline, properly nurtured, held immense power, and even the secret of immortality… how could Madara _not_ believe it was the supreme ability?

It had been Naruto who first made Madara reexamine his narrow beliefs. The Kyuubi, of course, was part of it – harnessing the demon fox to Konoha's leash could only increase the power of the Uchiha. But watching Naruto grow up, and seeing his unwavering loyalty inspire his teammates to improve beyond Madara's own projections, had been an eye-opening experience for the Hokage.

Takeshi, a half-blood whom Madara might have branded seven years earlier, had grown into an Uchiha Cadet capable of defeating Uchiha officers with more vastly more combat experience. Now Takeshi had lost the sharingan he'd fought so hard to unlock, and the old Madara would have ordered him Sealed without a second thought. Now, Madara wasn't so sure. Takeshi had put up an inspiring fight, while displaying intriguing new powers. Why not wait to see if Takeshi could rise to the challenge once again?

Madara was not one to deny the truth when it was right in front of him. Strength came in more than one form, and ignoring that fact invited disaster. The Uchiha clan would ultimately reign supreme, of course, that was a given… but why not allow others to join their cause, as long as the Uchiha remained first among allies?

This line of reasoning, emerging slowly over the past eight years, had culminated in many new policies, the most obvious of which was Konoha's relatively untested alliance with Amegakure. The old Madara, the Madara who had never met Naruto, would have marched on Ame with the full force of the Uchiha clan, until one or the other of them perished. Instead, Madara now had an ally whose strength and cunning was undeniable. Pain had ambitions of his own, of course, but Madara believed it was possible to use Pain so long as he was careful not to trust him too far.

Madara's ambition had grown as his beliefs changed, so that a Konoha under the Uchiha's rule was no longer his final goal. Now he saw an alliance of villages, an _empire_ even, with the Uchiha at the head. An alliance of shinobi villages, with all of its power concentrated behind a capable ruler, could change the very face of the world.

Different abilities and forms of strength would be absorbed into the whole, rather than stamped out. That was the lesson Madara took from the recent rebellion in Kiri – if Masanori the Tyrant had accepted bloodline abilities instead of eradicating them, he might still be in power.

This logic was the reason why Madara had not come down harshly on Naruto's fledgling plan to remove the Seals from Konoha's shinobi. Madara had seen Takeshi grow in strength as a direct result of Naruto's faith in him – that was the mark of Naruto's potential as a great leader. Even more impressive was the apparent respect that certain Sealed shinobi had for the Uchiha heir, none more so than Might Guy and his genin team. That Naruto had won the respect of shinobi who ought to hate and fear him spoke volumes for Naruto's potential.

If he thought that he could rule more effectively without the Seals, Madara was willing to let him try. Naruto, like Madara, would soon have eternity to perfect his leadership, after all…

Madara knew that he only ruled through fear. For a long time he'd believed that it was the only way to rule. But now he envisioned a world in which his son commanded the respect _and_ the fear of shinobi from all the major villages. He pictured them pushing themselves farther in order to prove themselves to Naruto, just as Takeshi and even Akemi had done, despite the fact that Naruto was no blood relation. Naruto was destined to unite the known world, with Madara as his supporter and advisor: two immortals with a shared vision and the power to make it a reality.

The time of the Seals was almost over; after all, they had only ever been meant to break the spirit of those who still remembered the Third Hokage. Madara had his own plan to remove the Seals, although he hadn't told Naruto about that yet. He wanted his son to focus only on the Exams, while Madara made the tough decisions for the good of the village. One day that responsibility would be Naruto's, but for now, Madara still had the final say.

The problem was that none of this would matter if Naruto did not come out of these Exams alive. The possibility of his son's death had never crossed Madara's mind before, but seeing Naruto now, clearly unable to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra, gave Madara a fright worse than anything he'd ever experienced.

The strange intensity of that fear tempted Madara to forget all his carefully crafted plans, some stretching back for years. His son was in danger, surrounded by masked villains and traitors. Madara wanted to unleash the full might of his sharingan and teach the assembled shinobi why he was still the most powerful person in the known world. He wanted to scatter his enemies' ashes to the winds. But that wouldn't help in the long run.

The best thing for Naruto, for the village, and yes, even the world, was to let events play out as they were supposed to. Madara had to stick to the script he himself had written, and play the benevolent, mysterious Hokage. It was just a good thing that his mask hid the rage on his face.

"The fourth preliminary match will be Isamu of Kirigakure versus Mantis of Sunagakure."

The leader of the Swordsmen trio took up his place on the arena floor, followed by the Sandstorm genin whose armor bristled with quivers of arrows.

Madara controlled the impulse to grit his teeth. These fights were a necessary nuisance, an unavoidable prelude to the deadly pageant. That didn't make them any easier to watch. The pivotal moment was almost at hand, and he had to wait while injured genin threw punches at each other. Still, decades of planning his revenge on Konoha had taught Madara many things, foremost of which was the value of patience.

oOoOo

Kakashi stood next to his comrades and students on the balcony, trying to look everywhere at once. There were too many threats to keep track of them all. There were the Otogakure shinobi, who were apparently volatile and prone to fits of violence. There were the Uchiha Policemen behind the Hokage… and of course there was the Hokage himself. The invincible, immortal Madara – the conqueror of Konoha and the man who'd enslaved thousands. Kakashi had thought he was beyond fear, but Madara's presence was enough to unsettle him.

Like Baki and Asuma, Kakashi wore his own set of Sandstorm armor, and he wanted to use it. He could no longer rely on his Chidori or Lightning Splitter, because the loss of his sharingan rendered him vulnerable to counterattacks. But the unique nature of his armor, combined with his studies in the art of puppetry, offered an exciting range of new combat possibilities. Maybe Madara was beyond his current power level, but Kakashi would have given his other leg to be able to attack the squadron of Military Policemen without repercussions. Kakashi considered it a blessing that Uchiha Fugaku wasn't at these Preliminaries, because he didn't know if he could have restrained himself from attacking the bastard.

Not all of the shinobi present were hostiles. Some were wild cards, like Tserumi Mei from Kirigakure. In spite of the role Sandstorm had played in the Kiri Rebellion – a role that Suna was keeping _very_ quiet – they hadn't been briefed about what happened in the village. Somehow, the daughter of Masanori the Tyrant had decided to throw in with the rebels, and now occupied a position of trust within Zabuza's regime. Kakashi wondered if Mei knew about Sandstorm's time in Kiri, but she never once looked their way.

Then there was the only Sealed jounin-sensei present. It physically _hurt_ to see Guy once again. As one of the leading figures of the underground independence movement in Konoha, Guy knew the identity of the Sandstorm senseis. But he was far too professional to pay them any attention, and Kakashi had to do the same, no matter how much he wanted to run over to Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast and give him a bone-crushing hug.

_I never thought I'd be so glad to see you, Guy… when we're not under surveillance and can finally greet each other, I swear I won't be 'cool and hip'!_

Kakashi was even looking forward to rekindling their ridiculous contests, assuming they both survived the coming war.

The start of the fourth match drew Kakashi's attention back to the arena. He wondered how Shino would fare against an opponent as powerful as the Kiri Swordsman. Shino had a better chance than most of the remaining members of Sandstorm, except for the relatively unharmed Kankurou and Temari. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were already in the care of Suna's medics, who had been horrified to see the results of their battle with the Otogakure team. Only Sakura's emergency first aid had saved Chouji's life, and now it was up to the more experienced medics to help them recover.

Unfortunately, it looked like Shino's tactics were not well suited to either the terrain or his opponent. Shino's arrows were most effective from a distance, achieving maximum effectiveness when he could fire from cover. It was the same with his kikai bugs, although he couldn't use them here. Shino fought best as a ghost, melting into his surroundings and initiating devastating, surgical strikes that came out of nowhere.

In the arena there was nowhere to hide, and the danger from counterattacks was high. Not only that, but Shino's opponent was not in the least vulnerable to arrows. Isamu of Kiri wielded the Lightning Swords Kiba, and his first move was to use them to create a suit of armor shaped from lightning.

"Now we both have armor," he said, before launching lightning bolts at Shino that moved faster than any arrows ever could.

Shino was on the defensive from the start, and he never had a chance to turn it around. His opponent seemed to have remarkable chakra reserves, because he kept up a barrage of ranged lightning attacks that left Shino with no time to reload his crossbow. It was all he could do just to dodge, and if his armor hadn't included seals meant to act like a layer of insulation against electricity, he would have been knocked out by the residual power from strikes he couldn't entirely avoid.

Barely three minutes into the fight, Shino surprised Kakashi by coming to a halt, taking a lightning bolt straight to the chest. The armor dispersed the energy, but Kakashi doubted that the insulating seals would hold out for long if Isamu managed any more direct strikes.

"Enough," Shino called out, raising one hand high in the air. "I wish to concede."

"Why?" the Kiri Swordsman replied immediately, before the proctor could say anything. "That didn't even scratch you. I can tell you've got more tricks up your sleeve... I want to see them."

"Your techniques have me at a considerable disadvantage," Shino replied frankly. "And your speed is far greater than mine. Not only that, but I believe you are holding back. Several of your movements were hesitant, as if you wanted to launch a different attack, then reconsidered. This offends my pride. I would rather admit to being outmatched than continue this farce any longer."

"Don't bullshit me," replied his opponent scornfully. "You're a big fat hypocrite, since you were holding back as well."

Kakashi tensed, his paranoia supplying him with a vision of Shino getting unmasked as an Aburame… but no further accusations followed.

"Believe what you wish," Shino said tonelessly, displaying admirable self-control. "My honest evaluation of the situation is that I cannot win this fight. Therefore continuing would be a shameful lapse in logic. I concede."

"The winner is Isamu," Konan intoned.

The Swordsman returned to his team with a disgusted snort.

Kakashi nodded approvingly at Shino when the cool-headed Aburame rejoined him on the balcony. "That was the right choice," he said.

"It was only logical," Shino replied, but his lingering glance at the Kiri team gave him away. Whatever Shino said, he wanted a rematch with that Swordsman. Kakashi saw that, and let it slide. Shino was a professional, and wouldn't let his emotions master him.

The next match appeared on the screen: the fifth match would pit another of the Swordsman – Suigetsu, according to the screen – against 'Hellhound' of Suna.

Kiba tensed when he saw his codename, and growled, "About time!"

Kakashi sighed. He'd known this moment would come, but that didn't make it any easier.

"My student is too injured to continue!" he declared, trying not to wince when Kiba whirled to face him, outraged. "He also wishes to concede."

"The hell I do!" Kiba shouted. "Ignore him, Proctor-san, I'm fighting!"

"_Hellhound,_" Kakashi spat the codename through gritted teeth, "if you contradict me again, I'll kill you myself."

Kiba visibly slumped. Down in the arena, Suigetsu of Kiri swung his sword in an impatient arc. "So much for the tough guy in the suit of armor, huh? Don't worry, 'Hellhound,' it's better this way. You might get hurt if you come down here."

Kiba stifled a growl deep in his throat, and gestured pleadingly to Kakashi. "_Sen-_sei…" he whined. "Did you hear that guy? _Please_ let me kill him!"

"You were bleeding internally until your teammate stabilized you," Kakashi reminded his brash student sternly. "You suffered multiple broken ribs, which have not even begun to heal. Your determination is not admirable, it's stupid. And the fact that your opponent seems like as much of a hotblooded idiot as you only supports my conclusion. If I let you go down there, you won't quit until he kills you… and I won't let that happen. Not for a promotion exam."

The unspoken message was clear: _You're done for now. Focus on recovering for the war._

So Kiba bowed to the inevitable. "I concede."

Konan nodded her acceptance, and the outcome was recorded. Suigetsu went back to his team, nodding to his leader and jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Kiba.

"These Sandstorm shinobi are a real letdown, aren't they?" he tossed out in a carrying voice. "First chance they get, they run away with tails between their legs."

Even through his armor, it was clear that Kiba literally shook with anger. Thankfully, he held his tongue.

The last member of the Swordsman trio shook his head. "You forget the one who fought the blind Uchiha. His strength was considerable. Do not underestimate him if you see him in the finals, Suigetsu."

"Whatever, Haku. Stop being such a worrywart."

The screen flashed again, generating the sixth match. The first fighter was listed as Tenten of Konohagakure. The second fighter was…

"_Bubblegum?!_" Suigetsu hooted, waving at Kakashi's team from across the balcony. "Nice handle! Let me guess… you're going to concede too, right?"

The articulated joints of Sakura's armor allowed for a full range of motion, so she was able to crack her knuckles loudly in response. "Suck it, chuckles."

She catapulted over the railing and waited for her opponent. Tenten appeared just as eager for the fight, her katana already drawn and ready.

oOoOo

Despite the fact that these Preliminaries were largely unimportant to Sandstorm's ultimate objectives, Sakura still didn't want to lose. She was the last member of her three-man team, and both of her teammates had conceded. For good reason, to be sure, but that didn't change anything. Sakura intended to win.

Tenten was in much the same position as Sakura: both of her teammates had lost, so it was down to her. When Konan began the match, the Sealed kunoichi rushed in quickly. She wanted a decisive victory, and she was going to pursue it.

Sakura gave way before the charge, peppering Tenten with senbon to give herself some breathing room. Tenten's katana flashed, deflecting the thrown weapons with short, precise motions.

"I'm not going to keep chasing you, not if you're set on running away," Tenten declared, sheathing her katana in the scabbard between her shoulder blades. "I wouldn't normally use this right away, but there's no use drawing this fight out. _Manipulated Tools: Heavenly Chain Disaster!_"

She unrolled a giant scroll that hovered far above Sakura's head, summoning dozens of gleaming weapons all pointed at her. "My attack comes from all directions, so dodging is almost impossible," Tenten declared. "And you might have armor, but I doubt it will stand up to the explosive tags attached to most of my weapons. Maybe you'll survive, but you'll need a good medic."

Sakura burst into motion just as the weapons flashed towards her. She couldn't bite her thumb because of her armor, but the fingers of her metal gauntlets were able to store and then automatically dispense enough of her blood to activate the Summoning Jutsu. It was a particularly neat bit of puppet craftsmanship that had been necessary when designing suits for Sakura, Kakashi, and Temari. No armor was worth compromising a shinobi's ability to Summon quickly. Sakura hunched into a ball as the weapons rained down, closing her eyes instinctively when a cloud of smoke appeared around her.

The _clang_ of weapons against something hard and metallic was deafening, and seemed to go on forever. The staccato rhythm of explosions was even worse.

Finally the barrage of weapons stopped, and the smoke from the Summoning disappeared. In its place was a black scorpion, roughly the size of an elephant, whose chitinous armor was reinforced with steel plates. Noriko the Wrecking Ball was curled around the spot where Sakura hid, its giant body offering a defense against all projectiles. None of the explosive tags had put so much as a dent in its armor. Sakura didn't often need to summon Noriko, but the results when she did were always spectacular. Noriko served as a form of Ultimate Defense almost as strong as Gaara's cocoon, and she was even more effective when attacking enemy fortifications.

Slowly the scorpion uncurled, revealing that only her underbelly wasn't protected. Sakura crouched on the arena floor, minimizing the amount of space she took up.

"Too soon!" Tenten crowed, twitching her fingers with a peculiar motion. A dozen fallen blades blurred into motion, even faster than before, targeting the now-vulnerable figure. Sakura had no time to dodge, and was skewered by each of the blades in succession.

At least, that's what it looked like initially, until the blades passed through Sakura without the slightest resistance. Then the bunshin wavered and disappeared. Tenten felt a tiny prick at the base of her neck, and her joints locked up a second later. She was frozen in place, some kind of paralytic poison flowing spreading through her circulatory system.

"Shouldn't have fallen into that trap," Sakura said, walking around so that Tenten could see her. "No intelligent shinobi would have given you that opening. That was a nice attack, though – our puppeteers would be impressed by your fuuinjutsu."

Tenten didn't look much comforted by that, although that could have been because her facial muscles were contorted by Sakura's poison.

Konan stepped in to call the match. "Winner: Bubblegum."

Sakura winced.

_Next time I'm picking the codenames, damn it!_

Up on the balcony, Kiba actually growled at Sakura when she approached. "Hey!" she said, affronted. "If you wanted to fight so badly, maybe you shouldn't have lost so badly in the Forest!

"I didn't know she was using fuuinjutsu," Kiba grumped. "Besides, your guy was weaker!"

"Ha!" Sakura scoffed. She turned her nose in the air and waited for the announcement regarding the seventh match. The screen blurred with a multitude of images, then settled on the next pair of opponents.

"Kimimaro of Otogakure versus Puppetmaster of Sunagakure."

Kankurou gave a satisfied sigh. "Perfect. Looks like that bastard will get what's coming to him earlier than I thought."

"Be careful," Sakura warned. "You guys didn't see him fight. His bones are fast and lethal, and I don't think anything you've got can break them."

"Thanks for the concern," said Kankuro, "but you know as well as I do that this is one fight I'm not backing down from. Not after what he did to our team. You'd do the same."

Sakura had to agree. "Good luck."

Kimimaro stared balefully at the puppet-user from down in the arena. "I was hoping to face your leader… but I suppose you'll do for a start."

Kankurou said a rude word, then unwrapped the bandages strapping Crow to his back. The armored puppeteer landed across from Kimimaro, manipulating the chakra strings from his fingers to keep Crow hovering above his left shoulder.

"Begin."

"I won't need my Curse Seal form for trash like you," Kimimaro said calmly, as bones sprouted from his elbows and grew into swords. He pulled them from his flesh, making Sakure wince. She wondered if it hurt when he did that.

_It doesn't matter… he'll hurt once Kankurou kicks his ass!_

Kankurou sent Crow in a wide arc to attack Kimimaro from the side. The puppet looked bulkier than Sakura remembered, and she wondered whether her teammate had made any special modifications.

Because of the threat posed by the bone sword, Kankurou played it safe and didn't allow Crow to stray too close to his opponent. Instead, Crow moved with all of the speed Kankurou could coax from it, spitting poison needles and shooting knives from hidden openings all over its body.

Kimimaro defended himself well, and used the Body-Flicker jutsu to evade Crow's poison gas.

Sakura resisted the urge to grip the railing. She didn't see how Kankurou could possibly win if he kept on like this. Such weak attacks wouldn't be enough.

"Puppeteers are notoriously weak in hand-to-hand combat," Kimimaro said, twirling his swords to deflect another barrage of poisoned kunai. "Let us end this."

He tried to close with Kankurou, putting on a burst of speed that left Crow behind. As he extended one of his swords in a straight thrust, Kankurou twitched his left hand. A section of his breastplate detached, revealing the black body suit that Kankurou always wore underneath his armor. Two coils of ninja wire extended from the levitating breastplate, whipping forward like snakes to wrap around Kimimaro's bone swords. A third strand of ninja wire emerged and wrapped multiple times around Kimimaro, trussing him up like a turkey.

"With this armor, my close-quarters abilities increase a hundredfold," Kankurou boasted. "Did you think I'd make it easy for you to attack me?"

Another quick gesture and Crow came flying through the air, a spike flying from its open mouth to impale Kimimaro. Bones sprouted all at once from Kimimaro's body, breaking the ninja wire as if it were twine. Kimimaro dodged Crow's rush, then grew two new swords to replace the ones he'd been forced to drop.

"I underestimated you," he said. "You've found a way to compensate for the traditional weakness of your fighting style. But it will not be enough to stop me."

He charged once again, and more sections of Kankurou's armor detached, hovering in the air, meet Kimimaro's attack. This time, however, the bones that Kimimaro sprouted from his flesh had jagged edges, and tore effortlessly through the coils of ninja wire that appeared. Kunai and senbon were turned aside, and the best efforts of Kankurou's detached armor couldn't stop the juggernaut that Kimimaro had become.

Sakura gasped involuntarily when Kimimaro's bone sword took Kankurou through the stomach. Then Kankurou… exploded.

At least, that's what it looked like at first. His armor shattered and went flying in every direction, and pieces of Kankurou followed, except that the pieces were a little too geometrical to have been created by an explosion. They also weren't mangled pieces of flesh, they were… metallic.

"Yes!" Sakura crowed, finally grasping Kankurou's strategy. Even as she watched, the hundreds of pieces of armor and puppet reversed their outward momentum and formed a loose structure around Kimimaro. They assembled even as they swept in towards Kimimaro, building a full puppet _around_ the Otogakure shinobi.

Sakura recognized it a moment later as Black Ant, the puppet Kankurou often used to trap his victims – and indeed, Kimimaro was now trapped inside. Crow flew up beside Black Ant, and when the puppet disassembled, the real Kankurou was revealed.

"So _that's_ why Crow looked bigger!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "The whole time Kankurou was manipulating Crow from inside, with Black Ant disguised as him inside his Sandstorm armor… Kankurou, you clever bastard!"

"Not even your bones replace the need to breathe," Kankurou called out, "and the poison gas my puppet is producing right now enters through your pores as well, so don't think holding your breath will do any good. You were finished the moment you fell for my deception."

Kimimaro didn't respond, but the huge chakra surge was enough of a response on its own. Sakura cursed, knowing exactly what they were about to see.

Kimimaro had activated his Curse Seal, taking on his monstrous form. A veritable explosion of bone spears shattered the reinforced metal plating inside Black Ant, and the puppet shattered into dozens of pieces.

Sakura could see that Kimimaro was gulping for air, unable even to speak, but somehow he was holding off the effects of Kankurou's poison. Kimimaro's desperate lunge was too fast for Kankurou to avoid. All he could do was gather the pieces of Crow to form some approximation of a shield, but Kimimaro's bony tail shattered it with ease.

Kankurou caught the full force of the attack, and it sent him flying across the arena to smash into the far wall. He was unconscious when he hit the floor.

Kimimaro sank to one knee in the middle of the arena.

"Call... the match…" he croaked.

Only after Konan had declared him the winner did he allow himself to collapse, reverting to his normal appearance. Sakura cursed again as Kabuto rushed to his fallen teammate's side, hands already wreathed in green healing chakra.

Sakura guessed that Kabuto would be able to burn the toxins out of Kimimaro's system, which was a pity. For a moment there, she'd really thought that Kankurou had done it.

_That was good work, you painted punk… just a little bit more, and you'd have had him._

Kakashi disappeared briefly, and rejoined Sakura a moment later with Kankurou cradled in his arms. Kakashi also attached his own chakra threads to the remnants of Kankurou's puppets, gathering them next to the genin's unconscious form.

"How is he, Bubblegum?" Kakashi asked. "I felt a few broken ribs."

Sakura bent over her teammate, her gauntlets wreathed in healing chakra of her own. Kankurou would live, but she had some serious work to do to get him stabilized.

oOoOo

There were only two matches left, and Akemi had been growing impatient. She cursed when the second-to-last match was announced as Haku of Kirigakure versus Kabuto of Otogakure.

_Figures I'd be last…_

"I concede!" Kabuto called out, raising his hand with difficulty. The reason for his forfeit was clear – the Oto medic could barely move his body. Something pretty bad must have happened to him in the Forest, because he moved like a grandfather and had large, dark circles underneath his eyes.

"This is the most ridiculous shit I've ever seen!" Suigetsu complained. "Not a single one of us got a proper fight!"

"I, for one, am glad," Haku responded. "Fighting without a purpose is mere barbarism."

_I'm also glad!_ Akemi thought. _Now let's start my fight before I drop dead of old age!_

When she finally saw her name on the screen, together with Maelstrom of Sunagakure, she expressed her satisfaction by jumping down to the arena floor even before Madara could announce her.

The only member of Sandstorm left, Maelstrom, floated down to the arena on a giant fan. From the fan, the codename, and the fact that Akemi's opponent came from Suna, Akemi knew she would be facing a Wind-style user, probably mid to long-range. She kept her katana sheathed for now.

Konan gave them the signal to begin.

"You should up, little girl," a feminine voice came from behind the blank faceplate. "You're in over your head. I was hunting down missing-nin in the desert when you were still playing with toys in your nursery."

Akemi snorted, then reached for her katana. "Some toys are better than others. Stop trying to intimidate me. You're not the only mean bitch out here… and this is my kennel."

"Very well," Maelstrom chuckled. "Then I won't take it easy on you. Let me introduce you to Kamitari the Sickle Weasel."

She bit her thumb and smeared a bit of blood on her oversized fan. Akemi began a series of seals for a defensive jutsu when her opponent swept her fan forward, generating a sudden windstorm with razor-edged currents.

Akemi activated her defense in time – it was the Rock Armor jutsu that she and Takeshi had picked up in the fight against Roshi's team in the Forest. With armor of her own, Akemi was no longer vulnerable to the slashing wind. With her sharingan activated, Akemi was able to track the silver glint riding the currents with terrifying speed. Her opponent's Summons was fast, but Akemi had sparred with Naruto at his Kyuubi-enhanced best. She read the patterns of motion that her sharingan allowed her to track, and when Kamitari at last launched his attack, Akemi met the weasel's wicked scythe with her own blade.

On the weasel's next pass, Akemi counter-attacked with a neat little flourish that opened a long gash down the weasel's side. Temari's Wind attack died down, and Kamitari stopped darting around, instead leaning on his scythe.

"Shit," the weasel said, looking down at the wound in its side. "Girly got me good. Sorry, boss!"

"Go recover, Kamitari," the Sandstorm kunoichi called out. "I'll finish things here."

The sickle weasel disappeared with a puff of smoke. Akemi didn't even try to hide her smirk.

"So much for your Summons," she scoffed. "What's next? Gonna keep fanning me? It's a little stuffy in here, and I appreciated the breeze."

"Shove it," Maelstrom spat. She folded her fan until it looked almost like a quarterstaff, except with sharp edges and reinforced with metal. "I'll snap your toy sword in half!"

The Wind user surprised Akemi by rushing in to fight at close quarters. She wielded the bulky folded-up fan with impressive skill, and Akemi had no doubt that the heavy weapon would destroy her Rock Armor if it ever landed a solid blow.

Wielding the fan with the necessary speed to fend off Akemi's katana would have strained the stamina of even a high-level shinobi, and Maelstrom was no exception. She tired relatively quickly, but that was small comfort to Akemi, who was fighting through the effects of her recent chakra exhaustion.

Akemi was forced to drop her Rock Armor jutsu, or else risk burning herself out. She cursed, thinking that Temari would take advantage of her vulnerability by launching another Wind attack. No new attack came, however, which puzzled her.

"What are you waiting for?" Akemi demanded. "I'm not done yet!"

Then something unexpected happened: her opponent's armor disassembled of its own accord. Akemi no longer had enough chakra to keep her sharingan activated, but she guessed that the armor was being manipulated by Maelstrom's own chakra.

Akemi got her first look at her opponent, without the armor. She was a tough-looking kunoichi, several years older than Akemi, with blonde hair held tied up in four tufts. She was watching Akemi with a look that the Uchiha couldn't decipher.

"You were ready to drop even before we started fighting," Maelstrom said. "Any more jutsu and you'll be chakra-burned for weeks, if you're not already. I'm relatively fresh, and I could end this by attacking from a distance… but I'm intrigued. I want to see what an Uchiha Cadet is like without the sharingan. What do you say? Want to finish this fight schoolyard style?"

Maelstrom cast aside her fan, which landed atop her disassembled armor. "Just taijutsu?" Akemi confirmed, raising her brows.

_Naruto did the same with Lee, but that was different… ah, not that it matters. She could take me out with her Wind attacks, but she's not. That means she's either telling the truth, or just really sadistic._

No more time for second-guessing. Akemi cast aside her weapon and raised her fists. According to Akemi's instructors in the Academy, the Uchiha taijutsu style was the best there was. Maybe it was because Akemi lacked her sharingan, but she didn't think her opponent's style was all that bad.

Maelstrom wasn't quite as fast as Akemi, but her attacks landed with more power than Akemi herself could muster. In minutes they were both thoroughly bruised, and Akemi even thought that her jaw might be broken.

Akemi used a wrestling throw she'd learned from Takeshi, and managed to achieve a stranglehold. But Maelstrom wasn't finished yet; she dislocated her shoulder and managed to get an arm around Akemi's neck, even though she couldn't free herself entirely.

The two kunoichi had each other in a stranglehold, neither willing to back down. Akemi exerted as much pressure as she could, cutting off all air into her opponent's windpipe, but she was in the same situation. She couldn't draw breath, and her vision was starting to go dark.

_Maelstrom is one tough bitch, _Akemi thought, the lack of air sending her mind off on strange tangents. _If I didn't hate her guts on principle, I think we could be… friends…_

Unconsciousness freed Akemi from her thoughts. Although she wasn't able to see it, her opponent lost consciousness at the same moment, drawing reactions from the audience ranging from surprised to amused. It was a double knockout.

There were now eight shinobi ready to go on the final tournament. The Preliminaries were over.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: **Here it is – the last chapter before the final tournament. Mostly a series of bittersweet moments during the calm before the storm, but there are some serious hints about what's coming, and a little insight into the battle plans of the various sides – keep in mind, of course, that battle plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy.

A word about Madara: this chapter reveals a bit more about him. Remember that my Madara is not in any way affiliated with Obito. He has discovered a way to prolong his life, which I hint at in this chapter. All of his secrets will be revealed before the end, and it will build into the overall mythology of this story. I do apologize for making you deal with a non-canon Madara, but with that said… deal with it. I like my Madara, mostly because he truly does care for Naruto while remaining a conniving, murderous bastard.

With that said, on with the show! There is an omake of questionable value at the end of the chapter, which you may want to skip over if you're not a fan of musicals…

**Edit 4/20/2014: **I accidentally wrote 'Hermione' instead of 'Hinata.' Wow... I am an idiot. Thanks for the catch, alert reviewers!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 42**

_- 28 Days Until the Tournament -_

Madara had not taken the field of battle openly since becoming Hokage. He had no need to, since the scarred veterans of the Military Police were enough for most missions. There wasn't a person in the entire village who doubted his power, even though only a bare handful had ever seen it with their own eyes.

Thus, when Madara began taking two hours out of his schedule each day to spar with Naruto, word spread quickly. The younger Uchiha, the little ones not quite Cadet age, flocked to Training Ground 13 to get front-row seats. The older Cadets were not quite as open about their curiosity, but when the training began they too were scattered around the open field.

Even some of the higher-ranking Uchiha, officers of the Military Police, came to satisfy their curiosity. If any of them, in the darkest corners of their hearts, doubted the wisdom of their leader in adopting a nobody from the streets and making him the clan heir, these sparring sessions put those doubts to rest.

The Hokage and his heir began their battles many different ways – sometimes they would limit themselves to taijutsu, and sometimes Madara would attack Naruto with a wide range of advanced jutsu that Naruto could then copy with his sharingan and add to his arsenal. But no matter how these fights started, they always ended the same way. Two pairs of Mangekyou sharingan would activate, and then Madara and Naruto would pit their Susanoo against each other in a grudge match, a veritable clash of titans.

Naruto had heard that using Susanoo shortened the user's lifespan, but Madara assured him that in this case, the risk was worth it. "And," Madara added, "I'll teach you a method soon that will remove that risk permanently."

That was enough for Naruto – if Madara said it was safe to train exhaustively with his Susanoo, then that's what he would do.

Madara's Susanoo never failed to hurt Naruto's pride. The four-armed ogre was gigantic, and the ethereal swords it held in each hand were capable of cutting through the monstrous trees of Fire Country as if they were toothpicks. Naruto didn't even think a mountain would be able to stand against Madara's attack, if he went all out. The first time Naruto had sparred with Madara, his foster father's Susanoo had sheared through the ribcage of Naruto's guardian with only two strikes.

Naruto had improved since then, although he wasn't close to matching Madara. According to the Hokage, his Susanoo wasn't even in its final form! At least Naruto had moved past the incomplete stage. His Susanoo no longer showed its ribcage, even if it couldn't manifest a suit of ghostly armor yet.

When complete, Naruto's Susanoo stood head and shoulders smaller than Madara's, with two arms that gripped a sword and shield respectively. Naruto's Susanoo was a pure, sky-blue – someone who had known Naruto before he received his sharingan would have remarked that it was the precise color of his old eyes.

Naruto did well that day. He didn't win, of course… he _never_ won against Madara. But his Susanoo managed to turn aside its opponent's blows for much longer than it had before, and even launched a successful shield bash that knocked Madara's guardian off its feet. Thankfully Training Ground 13 was enormous, so nothing important was broken when the giant guardian went crashing to the ground. This was a small victory in the scheme of things, but after five days of no victories at all, Naruto was willing to take it.

Naruto laughed out loud when the Uchiha children cheered for him from the sidelines. He played to the crowd by making his Susanoo bow, and then clang sword against shield and give a little victory dance.

_Oh, I'm going to pay for that…_

Sure enough, when Madara forced his Susanoo back to its feet, the glint in Madara's eyes promised trouble.

"'_Susanoo Shield Bash?_'" Madara called out. "You couldn't think up a better name?"

"Shut up, Dad!" Naruto yelled, trying to follow up his advantage with a straight charge. "I invented the technique, so I'll call it whatever I want!"

A very short time after that, Naruto lay stunned on the ground, his Susanoo dispelled. Once he regained control of his muscles, Naruto winced. No matter how much he improved, it seemed that Madara was always beyond his reach.

Madara's orange mask danced into Naruto's vision.

"Are you using a genjutsu," Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes, "or is your face really flickering like a candle?"

"Neither, I'm afraid," Madara replied, voice tinged with amusement. "You just took a hefty blow to the head. Come, get up. It wouldn't do for our audience to see their future Hokage sitting on his ass."

Naruto pulled himself up, and clutched his father's arm for stability. Having his control over Susanoo broken like that was a _really_ disorienting experience.

Madara turned to their young audience and raised Naruto's hand high. "A good fight," he roared, "but this upstart has a ways to go before he can beat _me!_ And for those of you who cheered when he sent me flying… how dare you root against your Hokage?! Traitors, the lot of you!" He shook a finger at them in mock outrage.

The children giggled like mad, then scampered off to gossip with their friends and relive the fight.

When they were alone, Madara and Naruto began walking back to the Tower. They took their time, enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

"They worship you, you know," Madara said to Naruto. "Even the ones in the Academy. Stories of your missions spread through the barracks faster than Amaterasu. The 'Fox Prince,' they call you. They say you marched into Ame and made their leader swear allegiance to you personally."

Naruto chuckled, though he felt very melancholy indeed. It was strange… he knew it hadn't actually been that many years since he was a newly-minted Cadet. Yet it felt like a lifetime ago. He envied the innocence of those children. Their largest worry in the next few years would be barracks inspection, and possibly a D-ranked mission or two.

"Once I wanted nothing more than to have people look up to me," Naruto said thoughtfully.

Madara cocked his head, mask hiding his expression. "And now?"

"Now… I don't know." Naruto looked down, and for a few minutes they walked in silence. Naruto wrestled with a multitude of thoughts.

"Any progress with that damned seal?"

Madara was referring to Kabuto's seal, the one that cut Naruto off from the Kyuubi. For a full day after the Preliminaries ended, Naruto had endured a torturous procession of medic-nin and sealing specialists determined to restore him to his full power.

It seemed that Kabuto knew his work, however. The seal somehow tapped into Naruto's chakra coils, drawing power from Naruto's own body. It was an insidious parasite, and destroying it from the outside would cause considerable harm to Naruto's chakra coils.

They would have risked it, but Madara believed that Naruto could erode the seal on his own. No seal was perfect, and Naruto had considerable persistence and mental fortitude. If he kept trying to access his mindscape, to use his own chakra to tug at the edges of the seal, then bits and pieces of the Fox's energy would seep through.

Little by little, Naruto whittled away at the seal, until enough of the Kyuubi's chakra slipped through to attack the seal from both sides. That was the plan, at least. Naruto spent four hours in meditation every day, determined to be in tip-top shape by the time the Tournament arrived.

"It's too soon to tell," Naruto answered frankly. "Every time I think I feel something shift, the seal just reasserts itself. It feels like I'm trying to erode a stone statue with a toothbrush."

"Keep at it," Madara said. Naruto could hear the concern in his father's voice, thinly veiled. "You'll need every weapon in your arsenal for the final tournament. The finalists are an impressive bunch."

"You're telling me – I'm the one who's been researching them, remember?"

The matchups for the final Tournament had been released to the public two days after the Preliminaries ended. Naruto would be fighting Suigetsu of Kiri in the first match, and Naruto hadn't wasted any time in looking for info on the loudmouthed Swordsman.

There wasn't much to be found – Suigetsu was too young to have shown up in any of the Bingo Books of Masanori's era, and Kiri had become even more closed off after Zabuza's successful revolution. Whatever missions Suigetsu had completed were not common knowledge, not even to the Uchiha spy network.

That didn't mean Naruto wasn't able to prepare, though. He knew what Suigetsu's sword was capable of, and it was a safe bet that the Kiri Swordsman was proficient in Water Release techniques. An incomplete picture, sure, but enough for Naruto to begin planning a strategy.

And that was only the first round. There were six other contestants besides Suigetsu, and in order to be adequately prepared, Naruto needed to find out everything he could about them.

As much as Naruto would have enjoyed talking shop with his father, he had more pressing things on his mind than the Tournament.

"Father…" he ventured hesitantly.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"It's… about the Seals. Are you really going to remove them from a few test cases if I prove myself in the Tournament?"

Madara stopped walking, catching Naruto's gaze. "I thought that had been decided," he said slowly. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Naruto shrugged. "I just- I keep thinking about it, that's all. I feel like we're at the edge of a cliff, and nobody sees it but me. We're wasting time with this silly tournament, trying to show the world a united front when we're actually split down the middle…"

"Ah, my son, your head must be tired from holding all those weighty thoughts," Madara teased, but then he grew serious. "Naruto, I understand your concerns. To a certain extent, I even agree with them. I promise you, I have a vision for Konoha, and it does not include the Seals. They were a necessary measure for preventing widespread resistance from shinobi who were loyal to the Third Hokage. Now they hold us back, and turn us against each other. I understand that now. I promise you, Naruto – the Seals will soon be a thing of the past."

"Really? Even if – even if I disgrace myself in the Tournament?"

Madara raised an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with my son? The Naruto I know would never admit to considering failure!"

Naruto ducked his head, embarrassed. "I know, it's just… I almost died in the Forest. I would have, if that Oto bastard hadn't been afraid of you retaliating. And if the worst happens – _if_, is all I'm saying – I need to know that Konoha will still become the haven of peace and strength I know it can be."

"I would still phase out the Seals," Madara said, seeming to weigh each word. "However, I do not believe Konoha can ever reach its full potential without you, Naruto. Just look at how that astonishingly poorly-dressed genin talked to you in the Preliminaries – he wants to follow _you_. Not me, not the Uchiha clan in general, but you, Naruto. You _have_ to come out of this Tournament alive, because we need you. I saved the Uchiha clan with blood and fire, fighting the only way I knew how. But you've shown me a new way. You conquer with kindness, and turn enemies into friends. It's a precious gift, my son."

Praise from Madara was always earned – he never wasted a word on flattery or white lies. Naruto knew, therefore, that he was speaking the truth, nothing more and nothing less. He truly believed that Naruto had something to offer the village that he did not, and he _valued_ Naruto for that difference instead of hating him for being different.

_I have the best dad in the world._

Maybe at fifteen he was too old for hugs, but Naruto didn't care. He pulled Madara into a bone-crushing embrace, which his adoptive father returned in kind.

"Naruto," Madara said, when they stepped away, "why have you never asked to see my face?"

"What?"

"My real face. You've been my son and heir for eight years now… longer than you lived on your own before that. Yet you've never once asked me to take off my mask. Why is that?"

Naruto considered this. It was strange, but true. It had just become part of his reality, like Akemi being prickly and Takeshi being overprotective. Madara's mask was part of him. But had it always been that way? There must have been a time when Naruto was curious, but couldn't bring himself to ask. Why not?

"I think…" Naruto said, face screwed up in concentration, "I think I didn't believe I had a right to ask. You gave me a life, a team, and a family. How could I demand to see more than you wanted to show me?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Madara didn't treat it as such. "Because you're my son," he replied, as if it were the simplest answer in the world.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath. He didn't think he would ever grow tired of the warm feeling of Madara's approval settling around him and lifting him up. "Then," he said, trying to keep his tone light, "what's underneath your mask?"

"Another mask."

"…really?"

"Of course not," Madara replied immediately. "What kind of idiot would do something like that?"

He chuckled at Naruto's disgruntled snort, then raised one hand to his mask. Naruto couldn't look away, as he saw his adoptive father's face for the first time.

The first thing he noticed was that his father looked young – far too young to own that deep voice and aura of command. The face that looked back at him was decades younger than General Fugaku, and even looked younger than Hansuke-sensei had been before his death.

He had a mane of black hair that hung down over the eye that was usually covered by his mask. His jaw and cheekbones were sharp and angular, yet strong, and Naruto even thought he saw some of Akemi's features reflected and matured in Madara's face – though of course that was the wrong way round, and it was _Madara's_ features reflected in Akemi.

Madara lifted a hand to brush his hair away from his right eye. Naruto was expecting to see another Mangekyou sharingan, even if unactivated, so what he saw instead came as a considerable shock.

Madara's right eye was blood-red, and instead of a pupil it had miniature black flames that danced and shifted like real fire. Madara stared into Naruto's eyes, and Naruto couldn't have looked away if his life depended on it.

"This is my real face, Naruto," Madara whispered. "This is the face that no one living has seen, except you."

He replaced his orange mask, and it was like Naruto was released from a spell. "Father… I don't know what to say."

"How about how handsome your old man is?" Madara joked. Naruto appreciated the attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'll give you that," Naruto said with a forced laugh. "You're sure looking good for a fossil. Exactly how old _are_ you, anyway?"

"I'll tell you if you win the Tournament," Madara said casually.

"And, um… about your eye. The one with fire inside. Does it – does it hurt?"

Madara looked very solemn. "Every second. But that is the price I pay for the power to keep my people safe."

"Is it something to do with the sharingan? Will I learn how to do it?"

Madara was silent for a long moment, before venting a world-weary sigh that shook his entire frame. "Naruto, I hope you understand how hard this is for me. I've always wanted to protect you. In the past that meant letting you grow at your own pace… and it sometimes meant keeping secrets. But I see you now, a proud Uchiha warrior and a good man, and I know it would be wrong to treat you like the child you no longer are. Nevertheless, some secrets are too heavy to bear. So here's my compromise. If you win this tournament, I'll tell you everything. No more secrets, no white lies… just the truth. What do you say?"

Naruto drew himself up to his full height, and saluted as an officer of the Military Police saluted his superior.

"I say I won't you let you down, father!"

"I know you won't. Come, let's get back to the Tower. After the fight we just had, I'm ready to gnaw on my own arm. Twenty ryou says I can eat more ramen than you."

"You're on!"

oOoOo

_- 21 Days Until the Tournament -_

The Kiri forces had mobilized for the first time in generations. It had been many years indeed since the reclusive shinobi of the Bloody Mist had marched in force beyond their own borders. They were near the border of Fire Country, still many days from Konoha. Itachi knew this country well, and had calculated exactly how long the army would need to travel undetected. Timing was everything for this plan.

In the command tent, Itachi bent over a stack of letters and scrolls. His head was spinning with logistics of troop movements, moves and countermoves. Itachi much preferred operating as the ANBU did: alone, or in extenuating circumstances, with a small squad of elite comrades. Coordinating a large-scale invasion was not something he had a lot of practical experience with.

Luckily Itachi was not the only one here. Kisame had more experience than Itachi, although he was first to admit that the Uchiha genius had him beat in terms of pure intellect. Together they had put together what they believed was the best plan for success.

It was simple and straightforward – in Itachi's experience, those were the plans least likely to fail. Complex maneuvers with many moving parts fell apart more easily in the event of complications. And if there was one thing Itachi had learned in his career as a shinobi, it was that there were _always_ complications.

Still, the plan was sound. Itachi would lead less than half of Kiri's forces in a frontal assault against the walls. Zabuza had negotiated with Lord Sevaroth, and the vampire bats had agreed to fight with Itachi even though he did not hold their contract. The core of Itachi's force would consist of the Kanchiki clan and elite Hunter-nin who had been hand-picked by Itachi and trained to neutralize common Uchiha tactics.

Itachi expected to meet heavy resistance; the majority of his own clan, in fact. But Zabuza and Mei would be in position in the Arena, tasked with keeping Madara away from the front lines until reinforcements arrived.

Kisame would command the majority of Kiri's army, and circle around to enter Konoha as far from Itachi's forces as possible. His attack would begin shortly after Itachi's, so that the majority of the Uchiha would be drawn to where they knew the traitor was. Kisame's larger force would then face relatively little opposition as they made their way through the city.

Of course, this plan was already being complicated by the presence of powerful Ame shinobi in Konoha. Pain and his inner circle of S-Rank missing-nin _definitely_ qualified as a complication, but unfortunately Itachi didn't see any other way to proceed than with the current plan.

Fighting through the Ame shinobi would just add to the challenge of the invasion. Then again, Itachi had a few tricks up his sleeve as well… if only he was sure those tricks were as reliable as he hoped. As it was, Itachi worried that his contingency plans might end up creating more trouble than they solved.

"You worry me when you get all pensive like that," Kisame growled from where he was perched on a foldable chair on the other side of the tent. "Why are you so glum? There's bloodshed in our future!"

"That is the difference between us, my friend," Itachi said. "I don't view bloodshed as a cause for celebration."

Kisame shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's a good coping mechanism, though."

"I have my own methods."

"I'm sure you do, you secretive bastard, even if you'd never let any of us see. Can't let on that you have any weaknesses, oh no, not the great Itachi…"

"I have many weaknesses," Itachi replied calmly. It dismayed him, really, to think about how many. "But revealing them to others serves no purpose. My enemies would only profit, and my followers would lose heart."

"Not even to your brother?" Kisame asked. "Does he even know about… you know?"

Itachi shook his head abruptly, almost involuntarily. "No. It has been difficult concealing it from him, but it was necessary. Hearing of my illness would only distract him, make him worry. Right now he needs to be focused, if he's going to get out of this alive."

Itachi looked down at the scroll in front of him, but he could still feel Kisame's gaze upon him. That gaze was far too knowing for Itachi's liking.

"He's going to feel betrayed when he finds out," Kisame said. He spoke in an off-hand tone, as if commenting on the weather.

"He'll feel betrayed, but not because of that… I only hope he can bring himself to forgive me."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Nothing changes. I set this path for myself long ago. All that remains is to walk it to the end."

"How does it feel?" Kisame asked Itachi. "Preparing to kill everyone you ever cared for, I mean."

"You tell me," Itachi said quietly. "You've been there, after all."

"I have," said the Kiri jounin, uncharacteristically grave. "And I'll tell you right now that this isn't a battle you can win."

"Maybe not… but I can make Madara lose."

"Will it be enough?"

"It will have to be."

oOoOo

_- 14 Days Until the Tournament -_

Despite the fact that he was about to go to war, Furo Tamaji was feeling pretty good. Two months ago he'd been just another jounin in Suna's army. Now he was Commander of the strike force tasked with breaching Konoha's walls. It was a promotion he hadn't been expecting, considering that Sandstorm rode so high in the Kazekage's favor lately.

But apparently all three Sandstorm Captains were needed in the Arena, along with their charges and the Kazekage himself. The choice for Commander had thus become an open question, and after weeks of calling in favors with various Council members, Tamaji had narrowly secured enough votes for the coveted position.

This was the chance of a lifetime. Tamaji didn't fear death storming the walls; no, the only thing that scared him was fading into the background, of having his name go unnoticed in the annals of history. What better way to win immortality than to coordinate the attack that would break the spirit of the Uchiha clan? This battle would be recorded in the history books, and Tamaji's leadership would feature prominently.

Tamaji was very pleased with his forces. Suna's shinobi were hardened by their environment long before the age when most other villages began shaping their children into warriors. By the time a Suna shinobi made jounin, he or she was a veteran of bloody battles against overwhelming odds. Given Suna's small size compared to the other major villages, it almost had to be that way.

Tamaji knew he could count on every man and woman with him. They were rough, tough, and ready for anything. The Uchiha might be feared, and rightly so, but they were also soft. They'd believed in their superiority for so long that they ceased to question it. Suna would make the red-eyed bastards question once again.

During his evening patrol around the Suna encampment, Tamaji walked past the tent where the Otogakure Summoners were staying. Tamaji spat to one side, avoiding the gaze of one of the Summoners who had ventured outside the tent.

_Oto scum… they're just a bunch of vultures, looking to pick flesh from the dead. No creed, no loyalty, and no talent!_

Unfortunately, Tamaji was stuck with them. He knew that they would be useful – a snake Summons large enough to break down Konoha's walls was obviously an asset – but he still didn't trust them as far as he could throw them. They didn't have the discipline of Suna shinobi, for one thing. For another… they were downright creepy.

Still, they were the key to punching a hole in Konoha's walls. For that Tamaji could deal with a little creepiness.

Tamaji been over the plan again and again, and he thought it would work. Once they received the signal to begin the invasion, the Summoners would go to work. After breaking down the wall, Tamaji would lead the Suna army into the breach.

He fully expected the Uchiha to meet them in the wreckage of the wall – it made no sense for the defenders to allow an opposing force to enter their village. Much better to meet them at a narrow access point, where the Suna shinobi would have to fight for every step of ground. The Suna forces would take heavy losses, but it would be worth it if they could inflict heavy casualties on the Uchiha Military Police.

At the same time, the Kazekage would engage Madara with the help of the three Sannin. If Madara was indeed mortal, there was no team with a greater chance of success than those four. And as much as Tamaji disliked Sandstorm – Baki had snagged the Council position that he'd had his eyes on – he had to admit there was no squad better suited to keeping the Kazekage and his allies safe while they engaged Madara.

The final part of the plan involved the rest of the Otogakure shinobi. Tamaji didn't know for sure, but he'd heard rumors that Otogakure actually boasted more fighters than Suna. He hoped the rumors were true, because he'd seen some Otogakure jounin in action, and they _needed_ the extra numbers.

In any case, Otogakure would send the bulk of its forces to infiltrate Konoha from the other side. While the Military Police mobilized to fight Suna's shinobi at the wall, Otogakure would send small teams into the village, infiltrating rather than attacking head-on. They would neutralize any threats they ran into on the way, and recombine into a larger force to take the Uchiha from behind. If all went well, it would turn into a classic pincer maneuver. The Suna army just needed to hold the line against the Military Police, long enough for the Oto shinobi to get into position.

And even if the Otogakure shinobi proved more incompetent than Tamaji feared, there was still an ace in the hole: the Sealed shinobi. The soldiers of Suna knew that by the time they invaded, the Sealed shinobi of Konoha were supposed to have received some kind of antidote to the infamous Hyuuga seal. The Uchiha would be fighting solo.

The Sealed shinobi outnumbered the Uchiha a little over two to one. Suna's army was about the size of Konoha's Military Police, and Otogakure was supposed to have as many as three hundred chuunin and jounin, even if they weren't quite up to Tamaji's standard.

All in all, the Uchiha would face five-to-one odds. Thinking about that brought a smile to Tamaji's face.

_Not long now… _the Suna jounin thought. _If we carry out our orders, the Uchiha will be utterly decimated. It's all for the glory of Suna, of course… but if I pull this off, I'm SURE to get a seat on the Council!_

oOoOo

_- 7 Days Until the Tournament -_

Guren arrived at the appointed time and the appointed place, precisely as ordered. She always obeyed Orochimaru-sama's orders to the letter, even if she would have preferred to receive her orders directly from him instead of his toady.

"Guren."

"Kabuto." Guren made no effort to disguise her contempt for the bespectacled medic. Kabuto never missed a chance to tear her down or laugh at her devotion, so she wasn't about to go out of her way to show him any respect.

"Are the troops ready?"

Guren shrugged. "As ready as they can be. They know what's coming, and they're ready to die for Orochimaru-sama. Is there anything else we can ask of them?"

"We can ask them to _win_," Kabuto snapped. "Devotion is meaningless if it ends in failure."

"Relax, _scholar_," Guren said, sarcasm practically dripping from her words. "We've emptied every base for this. Every experiment, guard, and recruit that Orochimaru has gathered since he founded Otogakure. We _will not_ fail him."

"See that you don't." Kabuto handed Guren a scroll. "Read it. These are your orders."

Guren scanned the scroll's contents. Her eyebrows rose, and she looked at Kabuto with confusion.

"Are these for real?" she asked.

Kabuto stared at her as if she spoke another language. "Are you questioning the orders of Orochimaru-sama? Or are you questioning my trustworthiness in relaying them?"

"Neither, of course," Guren exclaimed, becoming flustered for the first time since the interview began. "I only meant-"

"You have your orders. Now all that's left is to carry them out, wouldn't you say? Remember, Guren… a tool has no need to think."

Kabuto disappeared with a Body-Flicker jutsu, leaving Guren to curse the four-eyed bastard under her breath. She would give her life in an instant for Orochimaru-sama, but sometimes – only sometimes – she found it in herself to wish he had a better taste in subordinates.

oOoOo

_- 1 Day Until the Tournament -_

It was inexpressibly strange to walk the streets of Konoha once again. Hinata strolled along the busy street, once again wearing the livery of a slave. Her face was uncovered, Orochimaru's Curse Seal cleverly covered up with makeup.

Hinata kept her head down and walked quickly, doing her best to ignore the Military Policemen who were patrolling the streets in greater numbers than usual due to the Tournament taking place the next day. Hinata would have been amused that she was carrying out exactly the kind of criminal act that they were supposed to be preventing, but she was too busy trying not to activate her Curse Seal and blow the entire operation.

Seeing those brown-and-red uniforms brought her dangerously close to losing control. But she hadn't come this far to ruin everything, so she held on.

Jiraiya had hoped that it wouldn't be necessary for Hinata to carry out this stage of the plan by herself, but it turned out that Madara had decreed that all Tournament finalists, their teammates, and their superiors were to be housed in specifically designated apartments on the outskirts of town. They were allowed to use the training areas outside the village, but they were required to have an escort of Uchiha at all times.

Smart precautions, and it meant that moving around Konoha unnoticed was practically impossible for a foreign shinobi. Only Hinata wouldn't be seen as out of place, because the Kumo infiltrator who called herself Rose had been filling Hinata's place for almost two years.

Using the communication network consisting of trusted Sealed shinobi, Jiraiya had arranged a switcheroo with Rose. The Kumo spy set out for one of the markets nearest the Kumo compound, while Hinata went to meet her… hidden in one of Jiraiya's Toad Summons.

It had _not_ been a pleasant experience, but it allowed Rose and Hinata to switch places and trade outfits without being seen by a single soul. Now Rose would wait at the rendezvous point – although it was more of a 'rendezvous toad,' Hinata had to admit – until Hinata had carried out her mission.

Hinata thought that her encounter with Rose inside of Jiraiya's Toad Summons had been one of the most surreal experiences of her life. With fleshy pink walls surrounding them, Hinata had stared at a girl who looked exactly like her. It wasn't just her facial features or body type, it was _everything_ – her mannerisms, her hesitations, and all of the little quirks that Hinata forgot about until she saw them performed in front of her.

_She doesn't have the Curse Seal, _Hinata thought with a sudden sense of vicious satisfaction. _I'd like to see her try to copy my Second Stage transformation…_

Rose, it appeared, was a kunoichi who cut straight to the heart of things.

"Remember that the price of my service is a pair of byakugan eyes," she said, eyeing Hinata up and down. "If that old lady bites the dust during the Invasion, you'd best be prepared to volunteer another member of your clan in her place."

"You don't have anything to worry about," Hinata said flatly, quashing the overwhelming urge to tear this upstart bitch limb from limb for _daring_ to covet her family's birthright.

_Remember the mission, Hinata… remember the mission._

"Once Madara is dead, my eyes are of no further importance to me. You can harvest my organs too, if you want."

"You're a cold bitch," Rose observed. "You would have done well in Kumo."

That was the end of their conversation, as Hinata had nothing further to say. Hinata swapped outfits with Rose and emerged from Jiraiya's Summons, equipped with a knapsack full of glass ampules containing Orochimaru's perfected serum.

Eighteen months of exhaustive research lay in Hinata's tattered knapsack. The serum she carried represented the combined efforts of Orochimaru and Tsunade to find a way to neutralize the Hyuuga Branch Family curse seal. Converting the cure into a liquid that could be mass-produced and ingested had been a monumental task, requiring all of Tsunade's medical knowledge and Orochimaru's resources.

But the two Sannin had succeeded in the end. Hinata's mission now was to distribute the serum to as many Sealed shinobi as possible. Months of planning had gone into this one night.

As Hinata wandered around the village in her servant guise, she pretended to loiter at different market stalls close to the various shinobi compounds. She carefully paid no attention to the Sealed shinobi she knew were allied with the uprising, and left a prearranged number of antidotes in various locations where they would be picked up immediately after by her allies.

Jiraiya, who had the most experience of the Sannin in infiltration and information-gathering, had coached Hinata exhaustively on the art of the blind drop. None of the Uchiha policemen patrolling the street had a clue that she might be more than she seemed, and Hinata took great care to disguise what it was she was actually doing.

Soon the vast majority of loyal Sealed shinobi would have an antidote to their Curse Seal. They were supposed to drink it that night and get rid of the evidence; the serum was slow-acting and would kick in overnight. The next day, at the final Tournament, the shinobi of Konoha would still bear the Seals on their foreheads, but they would be inactive.

Orochimaru's serum somehow mimicked the effects of his original parasitic Curse Seal, except it had been modified to remove the 10% survival issue. The newly-freed shinobi might not enjoy the combat boost of Hinata or Kimimaro's Heaven Seals, but they would be free from the threat of instant death when they rose up against the Uchiha.

Hinata finished dropping the second-to-last batch of antidotes near the Inuzuka compound. She recognized the shinobi who would be picking them up – it was Inuzuka Hana, one of the most outspoken voices of the underground movement.

All that was left was the Akimichi compound, and then Hinata would return to Jiraiya's Toad Summons and change places with Rose for the last time.

"Stop!"

Hinata whirled, pulse spiking as she tried to evaluate the threat. Her heart nearly stopped when she recognized the boy who'd called out to her – it was Naruto. _Uchiha_ Naruto, she corrected herself. His eyes were dark and dead-looking as he approached her from across the street.

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit activate the Seal fight now kill him now!_

Hinata struggled for control, forcing the urgings of the Curse Seal into the back of her head. Then she forced her shaking knees into a shallow curtsy – best to play dumb for now, until she knew whether he suspected her or not. "You called me, Uchiha-sama?"

"Miss Hyuuga," Naruto replied formally. His mouth twisted and he looked aside, not meeting her eyes. "I know you don't want to see me, but I had something important to tell you."

Hinata curtsied lower this time. "I am at your service, sir."

Naruto made a disgusted noise that was halfway between a snort and a growl. He shook his head, gaining control of himself with a visible effort. "Look… I just wanted to tell you that the Hokage promised me he's going to start phasing out the Seals. He's going to start after the Chuunin Exams, and he promised I could choose whom to free first. I'm going to nominate you and your cousin, and the rest of his team. I… I just thought you should know."

He looked up at her after those words, as if searching for something in her eyes. Hinata took a deep breath.

"I – that is very kind of you, Uchiha-sama."

Whatever Naruto had been hoping for, it wasn't that. He swore explosively, making Hinata start backward. Thankfully, she was able to turn her defensive maneuver to gain room into a clumsy, fearful stumble. Naruto was pacing back and forth like a caged wolf, so luckily for Hinata he missed her combat instincts kicking in.

"Damn it, Hinata, I'm _trying _to make things right! I know you can never forget what happened to your family, but the cycle of hatred has to end! I'm going to be responsible for _all_ of the shinobi of Konoha, not just the Uchiha, and that starts with destroying the Seals. But we can't move forward by picking at old scars, can't you see that? We have to build something new, without letting old hatred hold us back! If you'd only try… we could do this together."

The earnest blond held out his hand to Hinata. "Please?"

Hinata was suddenly extremely conscious of the antidotes hidden in the bag she was now clutching like some golden statue. It was amazing how heavy it seemed, how it threatened to drag her down into the ground. Hinata felt like she was suffocating. There was some great weight on her chest.

"It's inappropriate for the Hokage's heir to speak this way with a servant," she whispered, lowering her eyes. "Please… I have to finish my errand and get back to the Tower."

She began to walk away, unwilling to look into those sharingan eyes any longer.

Naruto's voice followed her – he sounded lost, small, and broken. "What else can I do?"

She only walked faster. He didn't follow.

When Hinata was out of earshot, she allowed her control to slip. Strangely enough, the emotion that rose to the fore was hilarity. She laughed until her sides hurt, until tears formed in the corners of her eyes. The absurdity of it all shielded her from the murderous whisperings of the Curse Seal, so that her mind was clearer than it had been in months.

What a wonderful irony, that Naruto would come to her with a proposition to remove the Seals at the same time that she was getting rid of them herself.

_The universe must love to laugh at us._

Of course this changed nothing. Even if Naruto was telling the truth, the problem was still Madara and the Uchiha clan. It had always been them, and that wouldn't change if the Seals disappeared. There were more ways to turn people into slaves than by branding their flesh.

In a way, Naruto's poorly-timed and ill-conceived attempt to persuade her only cemented what Hinata had known all along: there was no turning back. He would never accept that there were some things that couldn't be forgiven, and some people who couldn't be allowed to live.

_You have a kind heart, Naruto… and that's exactly the problem. You can't look beyond the fact that Madara gave you a home and a family, and I will never forget that he took mine from me. Tomorrow we go to war, and many of my friends will die if you choose to fight with the clan that took you in. I'm sorry, Naruto… tomorrow you die by my hand._

oOoOo

**End of Chapter 42**

**A/N: **I'm not sure if I should do this… but I'll do it anyway, because I'm rebellious like that. One of the first reviews for this story compared the situation in Konoha to that of the suffering citizens in _Les Misérables_. I thought it was a really nice connection, but it wasn't until I wrote this chapter that I realized how apt the comparison actually was.

As I pictured all of the different factions gearing up for the final clash the last night before the Tournament, I couldn't get the song "One More Day" out of my head. I've decided that there's nothing for it but to write the first (and last, I promise) omake for this story. I present to you: _Rise of the Uchiha – the Musical!_

Here's how it works: bring up the song "One More Day" from the _Les Misérables_ 10th Anniversary concert on YouTube (and NOT the movie, people, the 10th Anniversary concert, which is and always will be the best version!). Listen along, substituting the new lyrics sung by the various characters from _Rise_. This works best if you're already familiar with Les Mis, and if you're not… please, take a break from whatever you're doing and watch it. It's worth it, I promise!

_**~Omake~**_

_**Instructions: **__Play the song in another window, follow these lyrics, and feel free to sing along! It gets a little jumbled near the end when everyone's singing at once, but it resolves in the end._

**ITACHI**

One day more!

Another day, to right the wrongs I've done

In one more day, the battle's lost or won.

My foes who share my blood and name

Are past the reach of guilt or shame.

One day more!

**NARUTO**

I did not hope until today.

What change will this new day be bringing?

**ITACHI**

One day more.

**NARUTO & HINATA**

Tomorrow war is on its way!

Yet when you're near, my heart starts singing!

**SASUKE**

One more day with my big bro.

**NARUTO & HINATA**

Will we ever meet again?

**SASUKE**

One more day, a Kiri Swordsman!

**NARUTO & HINATA**

Now I see you fade from view.

**SASUKE**

Now it's time for us to know.

**NARUTO & HINATA**

I can never be with you!

**SASUKE**

Can we kick our family's aaaaaass?

**JIRAIYA**

One more day before the storm!

**NARUTO**

Do I follow my new clan?

**JIRAIYA**

At the walls of my old village.

**NARUTO**

Shall I join my comrades there?

**JIRAIYA**

When our ranks begin to form.

**NARUTO**

What is right, and what is fair?

**JIRAIYA**

Will you take your place with me?

**SHINOBI CHORUS**

The time is now, the day is here!

**ITACHI**

One day more!

**MADARA**

One more day to the Invasion,

We will win with fire and flood!

We'll be ready for these traitors.

They will drown in their own blood!

**ITACHI**

One day more!

**OROCHIMARU & KABUTO**

Stay behind the pack,

Stab 'em when they fall,

Always watch your back

When there's a free for all!

Maybe I'm a friend

Maybe I'm a foe;

Just show me a weakness

And I'll let you know!

**SHINOBI CHORUS (6 VILLAGES)**

**SUNA**: One day to a new beginning

**KONOHA**: Raise the flag of freedom high!

**OTO**: Swords will clash and kunai ring!

**KIRI**: Swords will clash and kunai ring!

**AME**: There's a new world for the winning

**KUMO**: (And a few eyes to be won!)

**SHINOBI CHORUS (ALL)**

Do you hear the ninja sing?

**NARUTO**

My place is here, I fight with you!

**ITACHI**

One day more!

[_Start of Crazy Overlapping Section_]

**NARUTO & HINATA**

I did not hope until today.

**SASUKE**

One more day with my big bro!

**NARUTO & HINATA**

What change will this new day be bringing?

**MADARA(overlapping)**

We will see what battle shows us,

We will isolate our foes.

We will kill those who oppose us,

We will feed them to the crows!

**ITACHI**

One day more!

**NARUTO & HINATA**

Tomorrow war is on its way.

**SASUKE**

Now it's time for us to know!

**NARUTO & HINATA**

Yet when you're near, my heart starts singing.

**MADARA(overlapping)**

One more day to the Invasion

We will fight with fire and flood!

We'll be ready for these traitors-

**OROCHIMARU & KABUTO(overlapping)**

Stay behind the pack,

Stab 'em when they fall.

Always watch your back,

When there's a free-for-all!

[_End of Crazy Overlapping Section]_

**ITACHI **

Tomorrow death comes out to play;

Tomorrow is the judgment day

**SHINOBI CHORUS**

Tomorrow we'll discover

Who is best equipped to win the war!

One more dawn

One more day

One day more!


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: **Hey, all! So I failed to get this to you on Sunday… sorry! We're gearing up for midterms out here, and the essays are stacked a mile high. I may not be able to update again for roughly two weeks, but there's good news! The first is that this chapter is pretty long, and the second is that I have a month of vacation starting in June. I'm sure you can guess how I'll be spending my free time. That's all for me, except… watch out for cliffhangers and Gladiator references!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 43**

It was nice to have an audience. A shinobi usually operated alone or in small teams, and few people ever witnessed one's skill. For a narcissist like Suigetsu, the expectant audience in the stands acted like a drug. There was only one thing ruining his exultant mood, and it was the dark-eyed blond in the uniform of the Konoha Military Police standing across from him, a confident smile on that smug, stupid face.

_Always the damn Uchiha… just once, I'd like to fight someone who leaves my mind alone!_

Suigetsu was as ready as he was ever going to be. A month of training with Sasuke and Haku was behind him, all aimed at countering Uchiha fighting styles. Of course the real purpose was to be ready for the war, but Suigetsu was lucky in that his first opponent was also an Uchiha – he could test the extent of his training.

Best case, Suigetsu would take out the Hokage's son, weakening Konoha considerably before the Invasion. Worst case, Suigetsu would die, and the Invasion would have to go on without him. It was probably a good thing that the Invasion didn't hinge on Suigetsu winning – he was confident, of course, but he was up against a Mangekyou sharingan user _and_ a jinchuuriki. He wouldn't be worthy of his sword if he didn't acknowledge the possibility of defeat.

Still, surrender was a foreign concept to Suigetsu. He would do his best, swallow his pride, and use the strategy Haku had devised for him. Suigetsu fully intended to be the shinobi famous for killing the Hokage's son.

Naruto looked as eager for the battle as Sasuke felt. The blond genin locked eyes with Suigetsu, dismissing the screaming crowd in the Arena as if they didn't exist. His Military Police uniform was crisp and fresh, though Suigetsu thought that the brown-and-red coloring still looked like drying blood. He only hoped he could coat that vest with the real thing.

In the V.I.P. box far up in the arena and removed from the rest of the audience, three Kages sat side-by-side. Madara sat in the middle, his high-backed chair like a throne. The Kazekage and the Mizukage sat on either side, both Kages with bodyguards standing at their backs. Madara had no one protecting him – he needed no one.

Suigetsu didn't even try to listen as Madara addressed the crowd. This pageantry might have excited him under different circumstances, but not now, with war mere hours away. Suigetsu was about to enter a fight to the death, and thinking about the audience would just distract him from the business of killing.

When Konan signaled for the match to begin, Suigetsu experienced a curious type of tunnel vision. Naruto became the center of his universe, the only thing that mattered – his prey.

Suigetsu took off his Hunter nin mask and cast it aside. Unlike Sasuke, _he_ had no reason to keep his face hidden. He wanted a full range of peripheral vision for this fight… and more importantly, he wanted Naruto to look into the face of the shinobi who killed him.

"I see why you wore the mask," Naruto said lightly. "What large teeth you have."

Suigetsu bared his filed teeth, relishing the pre-battle high. He felt invincible. "The better to rip your throat out!"

"_Shadow Clone jutsu!_"

Suigetsu closed his eyes before Naruto completed the technique, so he didn't see the clones pop into existence. He could hear them breathing, however. Extensive training with Zabuza and Itachi in the Silent Killing technique allowed him to distinguish variations in the slightest of sounds and filter out irrelevant ones – that was how he could ignore the hubbub from the crowd, and pick out the slightly elevated heartbeats of twenty clones in a loose circle around him.

"Oh, come on!" one of the Naruto clones yelled. "Our grand entrance is ruined if you don't even see it!"

"Shut your hole," Suigetsu yelled back. "I know all of your clones will have the sharingan too. I'm not about to go out like a punk to some Uchiha genjutsu."

"Fine," Naruto's voice replied. "You caught me – I was hoping to take you out with the Genjutsu Gauntlet. But don't think I'll take it easy on you just 'cause you've got your eyes closed!"

"Shut up and fight, cupcake!" Suigetsu snarled, not moving an inch. "You planning on talking me to death?" He threw a smoke bomb at his feet while fixing the positions of Naruto's clones in his mind. He couldn't afford to lose track of any of them until he managed to negate the advantage of the sharingan.

"_Wind Release: Air Blades!_" Naruto's clones launched razor-sharp currents of air from all directions. Suigetsu drew his sword with one hand, reshaping the blade into his cocoon defense. Even though the attacks came from clones with fractions of Naruto's chakra, they had a _lot_ of juice behind them. Multiplied by twenty, and Suigetsu felt like a die rattling around inside a tin can. His sword was up to the challenge of turning away the Wind attacks, but if it could speak it would be groaning.

The Wind Release jutsu didn't hurt Suigetsu, but they dispelled his smokescreen. Exposed once more, surrounded, and fighting blind – _not_ an ideal scenario. But as Itachi kept telling him: 'when the situation favors your opponent, run away or alter the situation.' And Suigetsu had no intention of running away.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"What?"

"Do you like to swim?" Suigetsu pulled out a bulky Summoning Scroll and unrolled it in the air in front of him. Water came out like the stream from a firehose, except exponentially larger and with even more pressure. Suigetsu pulled out four identical Summoning Scrolls, and then created four Water Clones to open the scrolls in four different corners of the Arena.

Naruto's clones tried to intercept them, but Suigetsu's Water Clones fused with the gushing water to traverse the length of the Arena unharmed. With five Summoning scrolls dumping the contents of a minor river into the Arena, the battleground was soon transformed into a miniature lake.

Naruto and his clones still surrounded the real Suigetsu, staying afloat with the water-walking technique that was part of every shinobi's basic training. Now Suigetsu didn't even need the enhanced senses necessary to the Silent Killing technique, because he could sense where Naruto and his clones came into contact with the water. Like pebbles dropped in a lake, their chakra created ripples that spread outward, and Suigetsu used them to pinpoint the exact location of his foes.

Suigetsu liquefied his body, sinking away into the water. He lingered a little bit before disappearing completely – from the roars of the crowd, it sounded like they were enjoying the spectacle.

_I'm just getting started… you'll get your money's worth!_

Suigetsu sped through the water with abandon, loving the freedom that came from being one with his favored element. Other humans had no idea how limited their existence truly was, bound as they were to solid, clunky forms that could not adapt or shift with infinite capability.

Suigetsu no longer needed to worry about Naruto's genjutsu, so long as he remained underwater. Naruto couldn't cast a genjutsu on what he couldn't see, unless he was a far more skilled genjutsu master than Suigetsu had been led to believe.

_Time to trap me a fox!_

The surface of the artificial lake erupted all at once, as hundreds of whips made of water with the heads of snakes boiled up from the depths in search of prey. Half of Naruto's clones were impaled and subsequently dispelled, while the remainder managed to jump into the air in time.

But Suigetsu's jutsu had a long range, and the water serpents only grew larger and more determined in their attempts to hit Naruto and his clones. Suigetsu watched from the safety of the lake, still in liquid form, directing the questing whips with as much control as if they were his limbs – although in a sense they were, since they were merely extensions of his watery body.

Exposed in the air above the lake and vastly outnumbered, Naruto's clones dispelled one after another until only the original was left. Madara's heir was halfway through a series of hand seals when a whip hit him from behind, striking a solid blow to the side of his head and rocketing him further upward.

The force of the impact ripped Naruto's hitai-ite from his forehead, and the bloody piece of cloth dropped to the water below, weighted down by the metal plate sewed in the center. Meanwhile, Naruto finished his technique, and another horde of clones appeared in the air beneath him. Many were immediately dispelled by the writhing mass of water serpents, but the clones highest in the air kicked off of the ones immediately below, gaining even more height.

The process repeated again and again, until only one Naruto remained, so high above the Arena that he was only a tiny dark speck against the blue sky.

Suigetsu couldn't see Naruto clearly, but he had the impression that the speck suddenly got a lot bigger – much bigger than could be accounted for by Naruto's descent. Then Suigetsu saw the blue sheen that now surrounded his opponent, which resolved into a massive form hurtling toward the lake like some monstrous meteorite.

_Oh, shi-_

Encased in his Susanoo, Naruto landed directly in the middle of the lake. The size of his guardian combined with the speed of his descent translated into a heart-stopping impact that displaced much of the water in the lake in a torrential wave that drenched the entire crowd. They didn't seem to mind much; on the contrary, all of the civilians in the crowd and many of the shinobi were on their feet, cheering like lunatics.

When the wave subsided, the lake was half the size it had been before, and Naruto's Susanoo was planted in the middle. Water swirled around its enormous shins, but could not enter the interior of Naruto's guardian.

"How do you like me now?" Naruto cried from inside his Susanoo, looking like an insect trapped in translucent blue amber. "Stop hiding, you little amoeba! Let's do this!" His Susanoo smashed its sword against its spiked shield and roared, drawing another rousing cheer from the audience.

_Nothing like a forty-foot guardian dropping out of the sky to make a crowd switch sides. Fickle bastards…_

Suigetsu knew he couldn't penetrate that chakra-powered hide with water. He would probably need a point-blank strike with Hiramekarei, aimed to penetrate Susanoo's hide and finish off Naruto in one blow. It would be difficult to get a free shot, especially if Naruto started generating more of the clones that he seemed able to pump out like plastic toys off the factory production line. Timing was of the utmost importance, because Suigetsu would have to risk counter-attack, either by clones or genjutsu or both, in order to defeat the Susanoo. But that was a necessary risk, because as long as Naruto was encased in his guardian, he controlled the pace of battle without even needing to actively defend himself.

Obedient to Suigetsu's will, the water in the Arena began to flow counterclockwise. Suigetsu couldn't merge with this much water at once, so he had to expend a significant amount of his remaining chakra. It would be worth it, however, if his makeshift whirlpool worked as he hoped.

The water swirled faster and faster, until Naruto's Susanoo had to sink into a strong defensive stance to keep from being swept off its feet.

_Almost…_ Suigetsu thought, swirling along within the whirlpool, simultaneously preparing his chakra and his shapeshifting blade. _Now!_

With another wasteful expenditure of chakra, Suigetsu forced the entire whirlpool to halt in its tracks, attempting to reverse direction. It felt like trying to hold on to greased ropes attached to two bulls running in opposite directions. It was Water Release on a scale that Suigetsu didn't often need, but it served its purpose.

Naruto's Susanoo, braced against a constant force that suddenly disappeared, faltered for just a second. That was the second Suigetsu chose to draw Hiramekarei, which morphed into the largest, strongest snake form that Suigetsu could manage with his current chakra reserves. The blade wrapped around Susanoo's ankles, reaching easily around both.

Suigetsu reverted to a solid form so that he could divert as much strength as possible to his arms. He charged backwards on the surface of the water, once more visible to everyone in the crowd, and yanked with every ounce of his augmented strength. Already off balance, Naruto's Susanoo toppled over, its mouth opening in almost comic dismay.

The dismay on the face of Naruto's guardian was nothing, however, compared to the expressions of spectators who realized that a forty-foot monstrosity was currently plummeting toward their section of the stands. Thankfully, the Uchiha clan had safety preparations in mind when they arranged for the final tournament. Dozens of masked ANBU and Military Policemen used the Body-Flicker jutsu to rescue the civilians in the path of the falling Susanoo.

There were no civilian casualties, but Naruto crushed a section of the outer wall as he fell, and the thunderous _crash_ of pulverized stone overpowered even the cacophony of the audience. Suigetsu was already in the air for a follow-up attack – there would be no better opportunity to strike.

His sword morphed from giant boa constrictor to a foreign weapon called a lance, which was shaped like an elongated cylinder and was best wielded from horseback. This lance, however, began to rotate with mind-numbing speed, generating momentum for a frontal attack that could drill through meters of steel, Zabuza's third-best defense, and even Haku's Ice Mirrors. It was Suigetsu's best option for breaking through solid defenses, and he had no doubt of its ability to deal with Naruto's Susanoo.

Suigetsu took careful aim, intending to cave in Susanoo's chest and impale Naruto with the same strike. The revolving lance struck Naruto's guardian with an explosion of blue chakra and the keening wail that was almost, but not quite, like steel nails scraping across an iron plate. There was resistance, and then the feeling of something giving way.

Suigetsu's weapon penetrated blue flesh, then bored a hole through the giant's ribcage. Susanoo began to dissolve, even as Suigetsu's weapon took a surprised Naruto through the heart.

Suigetsu barely had time to open his mouth for a victory cheer when the Naruto impaled on his sword disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_Shadow Clone!_

Suigetsu's first instinct was to whirl around for the counterattack that must be coming, only to see the slight blur that signaled a Body-Flicker jutsu. He was a split second too slow in closing his eyes, and Naruto's swirling red eyes caught his gaze and effortlessly trapped his mind.

Darkness descended on Suigetsu with an irresistible force. As consciousness fled, Suigetsu wrestled with a sense of deep self-loathing. He might very well be about to die, and all because of his own stupidity. Some people, when facing death, saw the whole course of their life flash before their eyes. For Suigetsu, the only thing he saw was the battle, and the crucial mistake that led to his downfall. It replayed again and again, time somehow slowing down so that Suigetsu could experience his failure with excruciating clarity.

_That stupid, stupid hitai-ite! Naruto Transformed into it and hid in the water, the last place I would ever expect him to be. The Naruto I was chasing was a clone the whole time… damn it, how could a clone have enough chakra to summon Susanoo?! And then I had to reveal my position for the finishing strike… exactly what he was waiting for. I served myself up on a platter!_

Possibly the worst realization of all was that Naruto hadn't even tried to call on the power of the Kyuubi. Suigetsu had no idea why, unless Naruto intended to save his strength for the later matches. It was humiliating, and Suigetsu found himself almost hoping that he wouldn't survive this genjutsu technique. Death might be better than facing his village after this defeat.

Already drifting in a state of detached semi-consciousness, Suigetsu thought he heard a woman's voice floating across the void: "_…ruto wins! The next match…_"

_All that training, useless. Sasuke, Haku… I guess it's up to you now…_

oOoOo

Hinata was focused so intently on Naruto's match that she almost missed the signal for her own match. Naruto's Susanoo had been intended as a smokescreen from the beginning, so it hadn't needed to launch a single attack. Hinata felt vaguely cheated. She wanted to witness this famous Mangekyou technique in action, so she could observe it with the byakugan and see if there were any weaknesses. The most she could say after Suigetsu's fight was that Susanoo was vulnerable to powerful, but above all _precise_ attacks. That was encouraging.

"What are you waiting for?" Kimimaro snapped at her. They were standing together in the area reserved for Oto finalists and their team members. Kabuto only smirked at her, with the superior look on his face that always made Hinata want to send a Jyuuken strike straight between his eyes.

"What?" Hinata blinked twice at Kimimaro.

Looking down at the arena, she saw that her opponent was waiting for her. Haku of Kiri, still an unknown entity after a month of quiet research. All Hinata knew was that he controlled ice through an unkown kekkei genkai, wielded a sword famous for skewering enemies and stringing them together into grotesque corpse-kebabs… and he was fast. All of the reports, no matter how vague, agreed on that.

Hinata left her teammates behind, landing on the surface of the water without so much as a ripple, thanks to a calculated burst of chakra at the point of impact. The cloaked proctor walked between the finalists, gesturing for them to come closer. Konan grimaced slightly and gestured at the water around them.

"The other proctors and I have decided to remove the water from the Arena, so as to restore an even playing field. Please wait while Uchiha skilled in fuuinjutsu prepare a Sealing Scroll with sufficient space to store all this water."

"That will not be necessary," said Haku, exuding quiet confidence. He didn't move an inch, yet the water beneath his feet changed to ice before Hinata's eyes. The transformation spread rapidly, until the Arena had changed from a lake to a giant skating rink.

The show was not over yet. The ice began to move like a living organism, shivering and then flowing freely into the air, paradoxically becoming a frozen fountain. Hinata and Konan jumped free as the ice beneath their feet departed, while Haku let the ice carry him gently through the air.

The free-flowing ice ended by the section of the wall that had been crushed by Naruto's Susanoo. Half of the ice moved to rebuild the wall, enveloping the crushed stone and repositioning it, then encasing the rebuilt portion with a frozen coating to keep it in place. The remainder of the ice coalesced into a dense block in the section of the stands, so that it looked like a miniature glacier had decided to join the audience.

"I trust this is acceptable?" Haku asked, rejoining Konan and Hinata by floating through the air on a perfectly circular disk of ice.

"You still have an advantage," Konan pointed out. "Leaving that ice on the battlefield, even off in the stands, gives you more material to manipulate with your kekkei genkai."

"I don't care," Hinata snapped, eager to finish this pageant. "If he wins, it won't be because you left him some extra ice."

"I agree with my opponent, Proctor. If we remove this ice, I'll only summon more. My teammate is not the only one with large amounts of water waiting in Sealing Scrolls. As shinobi of Kiri, we are aware that our techniques work best in certain environments… so we carry those environments around with us. Now, with your permission, may we begin? I confess I share my opponent's impatience."

Konan bowed her head in acquiescence. "If there are no further objections, then let us begin the second match." For the first time, the Proctor from Ame showed her own abilities, dissolving into a veritable horde of black-and-red paper blossoms that flew to an observation platform across the Arena from the finalists. The Proctors from the first two exams were already there, along with another shinobi whom Hinata didn't recognize.

"Your match against the Sealed Hyuuga was quite interesting," Haku ventured, as Hinata prepared herself for his first attack. "You were about to kill him, but pulled back at the last moment. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to see your face at that moment. What made you stop?"

"None of your business," Hinata growled. "Just know that I won't hold back with you!"

"As you wish." There was a kind of pity contained in those words, tinged with amusement that stopped just short of condescension. Hinata had the strangest feeling that if she could see her opponent's face, it would carry an understanding smile. Somehow, that pissed her off more than anything else.

_You won't be smiling for long, Kiri bastard!_

Hinata activated the first stage of her Curse Seal, figuring that she might need the increase in speed to keep up with Haku. She would let him attack first, though – better to draw him out than showcase her techniques. It was difficult not to unleash hell in response to the Curse Seal's urging, but she was able to rein in her bloodlust by remembering that this fight was just a preview. Haku was an insect to be squashed before the _real_ battle against the Uchiha.

Haku stood as still as stone, his posture utterly relaxed. "From the spike in your chakra levels, I assume you've activated a seal that acts like the one your teammate bears. Does the increase in strength have a drawback… like increased aggression, perhaps? Maybe even mental instability? Is that why you came so close to slaughtering a beaten opponent?"

"Shut your mouth before I rip out your vocal cords through your throat!"

"…I'll take that as a yes."

Haku blurred into action, leaving behind an afterimage with the speed of his displacement technique. Hinata could track his motion around her, but just barely. A hand-to-hand battle could go either way, she judged – but it seemed that Haku preferred to work from a distance.

As Haku circled Hinata, a chunk of the ice wall detached and flew through the air towards them. The sheet of ice split into twenty-one distinct spheres, which arranged themselves in a geometrically precise dome that surrounded Hinata. With her byakugan, Hinata could see Haku's chakra infusing the ice and reinforcing it, almost transforming it into a different substance entirely.

Haku melted into the ice, almost exactly as Suigetsu had fused with water in the previous battle. Somehow, though, Suigetsu hadn't mustered the air of menace that Haku created, along with the drastic drop in temperature inside the space bounded by his technique. Part of that menace, of course, came from the copies of Haku that were reflected in the mirrors. The blank Hunter-nin masks staring at Hinata from every direction ranked fairly high on the creepy scale, though admittedly they didn't come close to Orochimaru at his finest.

_Trapped in a dome of mirrors… not a bad technique, as long as Haku's done something to reinforce the ice. It's not much of a trap if I can break out with a couple of exploding tags._

Hinata's first attack was considerably more destructive than an exploding tag. She focused chakra in her fist for a Tsunade-strike – the same attack that had allowed her to halt the momentum of Neji's Heavenly Rotation and disrupt the technique. Somewhat to her surprise, the mirror she struck withstood the attack. She _did_ manage to leave a fist-sized crater in the ice, but it disappeared a second later as the ice-mirror rippled, shifted, and became smooth and glossy once more.

Hinata's byakuga clued her in to Haku's counter-attack, which was a volley of senbon originating almost simultaneously from the other mirrors. She made a one-handed seal that triggered her version of the mid-range attack Jiraiya favored. When the Sannin used it, it transformed his white hair into needles that shot out in volley after volley at an enemy. Hinata used the furry lining of her jacket as the fuel for this technique, transforming individual fibers into makeshift senbon for a period of only a few seconds, long enough to intercept Haku's projectiles.

"I'm impressed," Hinata spat, returning to the center of the dome. "A technique stronger than the ultimate defense of the Hyuuga… I guess you're not just another piece of trash."

A plan was already evolving in her mind. Haku's otherworldly ice derived its peculiar strength from the chakra swirling inside it, circulating almost like blood in a human's veins. Disrupt that chakra flow, and the ice ought to shatter just like regular ice.

But just knowing how to shatter the mirrors wouldn't be enough. If she broke a mirror but failed to catch Haku, she would be no better off. Her opponent would know that his technique was no longer useful, and he would alter his strategy accordingly. Hinata needed to wait for the right moment – no, that wasn't quite right. She needed to _create_ the right moment, and turn Haku's reliance on his ice into a weapon to use against him.

"My ice used to be weaker," came Haku's disembodied voice. "As my chakra control improves, so does my ability to create denser and more resilient ice mirrors. If you cannot destroy them, then this battle will not last much longer."

The next volley of projectiles was not senbon, but ice spears that appeared from the mirrors and flung themselves at Hinata, like bolts fired from some enormous crossbow. Each ice spear was fully six feet long, and tapered to a wicked point that would shred Hinata's body like tissue paper if it hit its mark.

Rather than dodge, Hinata formed a seal and opened her mouth, spewing out mud that hardened into a cocoon around her. The first volley of spears halted halfway through the barrier, the gleaming blades mere inches from Hinata's still form. Earth Release techniques were popular with both Orochimaru and Jiraiya, and Hinata had learned a wide variety of those versatile jutsu. She was proficient in wielding elemental chakra for both Earth and Fire, and found Earth techniques best for quick and effective defenses.

Normally, Hinata was rather limited in terms of the size of the Earth cocoon she could create… but that was before she activated her Curse Seal. Now, Hinata was practically overflowing with chakra, and she meant to expend a little as the first step in her plan to neutralize Haku's advantage.

Hinata spewed out more quick-hardening mud, forcing it outward with her chakra and will. A second cocoon followed, and then another, and a final one not that much larger than Hinata herself. She created a nested chain of rock-hard cocoons, just like the doll sold in toy stores in Konoha that contained smaller dolls inside. Now Haku had no way of knowing where Hinata was, since she could merge with the layered cocoons using the favored stealth technique of Iwa shinobi.

"An impressive defense," Haku acknowledged. "Creating your own dome of earth while trapped in my Ice Mirrors… certainly an effective countermeasure against ranged attacks. But without a strategy for actually attacking me, you're only delaying the inevitable."

_And there's my cue!_

At the same time, twenty-one blobs of earth detached from the outer wall of Hinata's earth cocoon and flew towards the mirrors while resolving into perfect copies of Hinata. Since the outermost cocoon was so large, there were only a few meters separating them from the mirrors.

Haku managed one defensive volley of ice spears, but the projectiles that hit their mark were enveloped by the mud clones without doing any damage or slowing their momentum in the slightest. Mud clones didn't take a fraction of the chakra needed for shadow clones, and while they were almost useless in terms of dealing damage, they made up for it by absorbing most attacks without dispelling.

These particular clones had one ace up their collective sleeves, however, in the form of twenty-one hastily inked seals on paper that was probably getting very muddy by now. The clones reached the mirrors, slapping the seals on the reflective surfaces and making them stick with a careful application of chakra.

Each clone expended their remaining allotment of chakra in activating the seals, triggering Hinata's trap. These particular seals were some of Hinata's finest work. They combined the blast effect that Hinata had employed to such great effect on the shinobi from Sandstorm in the Forest of Death with a concentrated spike of chakra. Essentially, it combined a massive shockwave with a devastating large-scale Jyuuken strike, although only someone who was a master of fuuinjutsu _and_ an authority on the secrets of the Gentle Fist style would be able to guess how Hinata had first come up with the idea for these seals.

The Jyuuken-like effects of the shockwave passed effortlessly through the solid surface of the ice mirrors, severing the circulating chakra that sustained the technique. The secondary shockwave then shattered the ice mirrors, making the world seem to explode in a shower of icy shards.

Haku's near-superhuman speed was the only thing that saved him. He was just leaving the supposed safety of his mirrors, and had encased himself in armor made of ice for good measure, but couldn't escape the shockwave entirely. The chakra surge that would have shredded internal organs only shattered his ice armor, and the last vestiges of the shock wave sent him tumbling through the air like a broken rag doll instead of crushing his skull like an overripe grape.

Hinata was already in motion, ready to follow up with an offensive jutsu to finish the job, but it appeared that the shockwave had done its work. Haku had lost consciousness from the blast.

"Shouldn't have relied on those mirrors," Hinata murmured, standing over Haku's motionless form.

_Bet you're not smiling sadly now, asshole!_

The Curse Seal whispered to her, demanding Haku's death, but Hinata roughly silenced its voice and deactivated her Curse Seal. It felt like pulling out barbed wire wrapped around her limbs and torso, and Hinata gasped when the alien chakra flooding her system slowed to a trickle, and finally disappeared. She didn't know if she was exulted, exhausted, or disappointed. It was probably a little of all three, with other, stranger emotions mixed in.

Speaking into a device that broadcasted her voice throughout the Arena, Konan declared the battle over. Hinata rejoined her teammates, acknowledging Kimimaro's grudging nod with one of her own.

"The third match of the tournament will be between Bubblegum of Sunagakure and Kimimaro of Otogakure," announced Konan.

"She's the one who trashed Kabuto," Hinata pointed out, taking a certain twisted relish in Kabuto's angry retort. "She's probably been gearing up for this all month, since you almost killed her teammates. Don't take her lightly, Kimimaro."

"Don't waste your breath on words I've heard before," Kimimaro snapped. "I'm not about to underestimate anyone at this stage. All the trash have already been weeded out."

_Maybe she'll pull it off_, Hinata mused, rooting whole-heartedly for the anonymous Suna kunoichi with the truly terrible codename.

_She's on our side, after all, and if she kills Kimimaro, Orochimaru will lose his favored vessel. That'll make him less likely to try to stab Jiraiya and Tsunade in the back when all this is over… but can she possibly take Kimimaro?_

Hinata folded her hands together and leaned over the railing to watch the next match.

oOoOo

Sakura was not a very spiritual person, but finding out that Kimimaro was her opponent in the first round of the tournament had almost been enough to make her believe that some cosmic force was looking out for her. Kankurou had done a damn fine job during the Preliminaries, but it hadn't been enough. Now it was Sakura's turn.

_Mess with my friends, will you? You've got no idea what's coming for you!_

Sakura had spent the last month working towards this fight. She had picked her teammates' brains for every single detail concerning Kimimaro's tactics, strengths, and weaknesses. Sakura wasn't fighting alone – all of Sandstorm had taken an active part in designing her battle strategy. Shikamaru had been a little more help than the others, perhaps, especially when he shared with Sakura the epiphany he'd had just before losing consciousness after his battle with Kimimaro.

"We are both familiar with each other's abilities, so let us not waste time," Kimimaro began, his voice calm and even. Sakura wasn't fooled – this was personal for both of them, and he was just as pissed off as she was.

He demonstrated exactly what he meant by activating his Curse Seal right away, his eyes alight with savage expectation as jagged black lines partitioned his skin. He ripped two bone swords from his flesh, and ducked into what Sakura assumed was the ready stance for one of his 'dances.'

_He's starting strong, _Sakura reflected. _I can't keep up with his speed on my own, so I'll have to call on the Elder. He'll complain, but there's no choice. I need the Ambrosia Venom for this fight…_

She Summoned Obikiri, the scorpion Elder, and mustered every bit of stubbornness she'd developed after years of dealing with Kankurou and Kiba. As she'd expected, Obikiri was not happy.

"It feels like you summoned me yesterday, insolent pup! Are you so weak that you can't fight your own battles?"

Sakura bowed her head, acknowledging the justice in that. "You may be right, Honored Elder. Nevertheless, I request your aid for this battle."

"You _do_ know you're shortening your lifespan every time, do you not?" the ancient scorpion muttered. "What use are your struggles if you bargain away your future?"

"Aww…" Sakura said drily, craning her head to look at the scorpion. "You _do_ care! Why, you big softy!"

The scorpion's stinger hit her right between the eyes, effortlessly piercing the visor that hid her face. Before the Ambrosia Venom erased Sakura's consciousness of pain, there was a flash of agony that made Sakura regret her flippant tone.

"_Do_ try not to die," the Elder said acidly. "I… my brethren would miss you. You are the first kunoichi to carry our contract in several generations. Not that I'll care if you bring your life to an early end through your own stupidity." He disappeared with a puff of acrid smoke, leaving Sakura to wonder if that had actually been concern from the irritable Elder.

But as the venom reached critical capacity in her system, such questions were put aside for a time when killing was not her primary purpose. Now there was only Kimimaro and his bone swords. That, and the heady power that raised Sakura's speed and reflexes to levels that most jounin could only dream of. It was a power with a high price, but Sakura would pay it a hundred times over to give Kimimaro what he deserved.

Kimimaro attacked first, now that he knew that Sakura had not Summoned a scorpion in order to carry out a combination attack. Sakura met him in midair, and turned aside blow after blow from the bone swords with swipes of her armored forearms.

In this intermediate stage of transformation, Kimimaro was monstrously fast… but Sakura kept up with ease. She parried his strikes, making sure that Kimimaro never managed to hit her armor straight on. She dodged and deflected, and struck back with a new attack style that Kankurou had helped her install in her armor.

Sakura could now shoot poisoned senbon from spring-loaded capsules in the fingertips of her Sandstorm gauntlets. The capsules held a near-inexhaustible supply of senbon, and reloaded automatically thanks to a clever blending of fuuinjutsu and puppetry.

Kimimaro found his dances to be less effective than he might have wished, because Sakura could parry a strike with her forearm while counter-attacking at the same time. Kimimaro tried combination after combination, but had to duck away to avoid small volleys of senbon aimed at his eyes and neck.

_If this goes on much longer, he'll activate Stage Two too soon and I'll lose my advantage... time for the next step!_

When Kimimaro began his next thrust, Sakura did not parry it as she had before. Instead, she grabbed the incoming sword with her armored gauntlet, stopping Kimimaro in his tracks. The impact should have sent a punishing lance of pain up her arm, but Sakura was beyond pain. Kimimaro stared at her, clearly shocked that her strength was comparable to his.

_Get over it, buddy. Ambrosia Venom is the ultimate technique of the Ninja Scorpion clan, paid for with my life's blood. I'll back it against your little tattoo any day of the week!_

"You shouldn't have told your medic to fight me in the Forest," Sakura confided. "He gave me a few ideas, and I've had all month to work on them."

So saying, she held up her free hand. With an effort of will and a level of control that she had not possessed even a month earlier, Sakura wreathed her right fist in green chakra. It was the chakra scalpel technique Kabuto had used against her to such great effect. Thanks to Shikamaru, Sakura had been able to reverse-engineer it. However, not even Shikamaru had the chakra control to actually use the technique – only Sakura had the necessary control and experience with medical ninjutsu to wield it. But after sparring with her teammates with her new technique, she knew she was never going back to her old style.

Sakura brought her hand down in a knife-hand strike precisely in the middle of Kimimaro's sword. She wouldn't say it was like a hot knife through butter – it felt more like a revolving saw cutting through thick, knotty wood. Difficult, and not without resistance, but _certainly_ effective.

Sakura lunged once more, trying to cut off Kimimaro's arm at the shoulder. He ducked and whirled away, stopping a safe distance from Sakura and eyeing her warily. Sakura still clutched the broken half of his bone sword in her left hand, while her right hummed with the deadly energy of her chakra scalpel.

"This is the third time I have been forced to activate my Second Stage form because of shinobi from _Sandstorm_," Kimimaro spat. "I acknowledge your strength… but you will never defeat me!"

He roared with rage and challenge as his Second Stage form emerged.

"I didn't want to go this far," Kimimaro growled, his inhuman eyes glowing with rage as he swung his bony tail.

_I bet you didn't, you dinosaur-looking prick. Wanted to save everything for the Invasion, huh? If only you'd thought of that before throwing a hissy fit and trying to kill MY teammates!_

"Maybe you can cut through my bones," said Kimimaro, "but you still only have two hands. What will you do when the entire Arena becomes your enemy?"

This was it, Sakura knew – Kimimaro was about to summon his wasteland of bones. He was following Shikamaru's plan almost exactly, but there was still one large hurdle that Sakura had to overcome if she wanted to come out of this alive.

Sakura peformed the Summoning Jutsu once again, while Kimimaro prepared to bring his bones up from the very earth. The Summoning Jutsu was a little tricky to complete with the broken half of Kimimaro's sword still in one hand, but Sakura managed.

The puff of smoke accompanying the Summons blocked Sakura from view, but many in the audience who had seen footage of the Preliminaries knew what to expect. Sure enough, when the smoke cleared, the black, armored Scorpion from the Prelims was curled protectively around Sakura.

The Arena was now in its third incarnation – it had gone from lake to skating rink, and now it became a nightmare. Bones pierced the earth like living stalagmites, or fangs jutting out from some hellish maw. The spikes nearest the black scorpion had glanced off its armored hide and snapped off, showing that Sakura's newest Summons would not be easily taken down.

The scorpion Noriko, known as the Wrecking Ball to those who had seen her in battle (and survived), began to roll around the battlefield. She started slow, without enough momentum to break the bones that rose to block her path.

That didn't deter her, however – she uncurled just long enough to wrap her powerful tail around one of the spears and give a mighty heave, sending herself through the air. When Noriko returned to the ground, she was spinning as quickly as an Akimichi using the Human Boulder technique, and had enough momentum to scatter bones like tenpins. Her armored hide received dozens of deep grooves, but since most of the bone spears hit her at an angle, none managed to pierce the metal plates.

Kimimaro muttered an oath and took off in pursuit of the scorpion, which continued to rampage around the battlefield with no apparent goal. Every time a new line of bone spears rose to fence her in, she just launched herself into the air with her powerful tail and landed in an entirely new area with renewed momentum.

The spectators cheered, and more than one began to laugh. The fight had turned into a rousing game of tag. In fact, if you could ignore the massive amounts of killing intent that Kimimaro generated, it wasn't all that different from a cat chasing a ball around outside.

But as slippery as Noriko was, the scorpion was not as fast as Kimimaro in his Stage Two form. The enraged Oto shinobi caught up with the scorpion in midair, where Noriko couldn't change direction. The black scorpion shifted from flight to attack mode effortlessly, lashing out with a stinger larger than most katana. Kimimaro whipped his own tail forward, and sprouted chains of bone that wrapped around Noriko's tail and abruptly stopped her forward motion.

Noriko had no way of defending herself against Kimimaro's massive spear of bone, which hit straight on with all of Kimimaro's considerable strength behind it. The metal plating on Noriko's back screeched and tore apart, and the spear drove deeply into the scorpion's vulnerable exoskeleton.

Noriko spoke quietly, too quietly for any except Sakura and Kimimaro to hear. "He got me good… Pinkie. It'll take me… a long time… to recover. Looks like the rest… is up to you!"

The scorpion disappeared, and Sakura's armored form began to fall, now that her protector no longer kept her aloft. Sakura landed lightly on top of one of Kimimaro's bone spears.

Kimimaro came to rest a moment later, his clawed feet leaving deep impressions in a small patch of bone-free ground. "Enough!" he rasped, gathering himself for a charge. "You will fall as your friends did before you!"

Sakura made no move to flee. The Ambrosia Venom had worn off while Noriko was bouncing around, so she wasn't fast enough to evade the next attack anyway. Kimimaro propelled himself forward, pulling his arm back to deliver one last thrust with the bone spear.

_Now!_

Sakura activated her last final technique. Her armor vented a large cloud of gas directly in front of her. Kimimaro was moving too swiftly to dodge, and he didn't try. He knew, as Sakura did, that there was no way she could dodge his attack. He continued with his thrust, sure that no matter what poison she used against him, he could kill her before it did its work. Then Kabuto would heal him, just as he had after the battle with Kankurou. Eminently logical, and a calculation that a fighter as canny as Kimimaro would be likely to make – at least, that's what Shikamaru had told Sakura when he briefed her on this stage of the plan. And sure enough, Kimimaro took the bait.

Sakura once again met Kimimaro's attack head-on, protected by her armor and nothing else, and once again she stopped his attack cold.

The purple cloud dissipated slowly, and Kimimaro was already shaking before the last vestiges faded away. "Your venom wore off!" he protested, then coughed abruptly. "You shouldn't be strong enough to stop me… what did you do?"

"Just mixed up a new poison," Sakura said, exerting all her strength to keep hold of the spear. "Remember that bone sword I cut with my chakra scalpel? It was exactly the chemical sample I needed to isolate the specific properties that give your bones such strength. I had all of the ingredients ready beforehand, I just needed a little time to get the proportions right, and some of your bone to test my mixtures. Noriko bought me all the time I need… and now your entire body has been bathed in a chemical compound that corrupts the cellular integrity of your bones. They're now brittle, corrupted… and breakable."

Sakura brought her knee up to the bone spear with a short, sharp motion. The bone shattered like porous rock, crumbling into dust before her eyes.

"Some shinobi look down on poison," Sakura said, as Kimimaro stumbled backward. "They believe it isn't as reliable as ninjutsu or even genjutsu. But it is one of the oldest shinobi arts for a reason. As long as one's opponent is flesh, blood, and bone, there will always be weaknesses that a properly mixed poison can exploit."

"My kekkei genkai allows me to grow new bones," Kimimaro spat, then coughed up a gout of blood. "Your trick… won't defeat me."

"That's why my poison also includes a strong paralytic," Sakura said. "I'm surprised you're still moving, but I suppose if you can replace your entire skeletal system, resisting poison isn't all that great a feat. But the process must take time… and that's one thing you don't have."

Sakura used a Body-Flicker jutsu to position herself behind Kimimaro, and activated the Chakra Scalpel technique around her right hand. "Go ahead," she whispered, bringing her hand to his throat. "Replace your bones. But unless you can do it by the time I count to three, you're a dead man."

Sakura tightened her grip on the severely weakened Kimimaro, and began counting. "One… two… thr-"

"I surrender."

Sakura let the green chakra around her hand disappear, and spoke without moving her lips. Her words were for Kimimaro's ears alone. "I'm letting you live because we may need you," she whispered. "But you're still trash. Remember this moment, the next time you're tempted to kill people to defend your so-called honor."

She left him there in the Arena, battered and broken even in his Stage Two form, and rejoined the rest of Sandstorm on their section of the balcony. Kabuto went to support Kimimaro, and Sakura heartily hoped that the medic nin was getting tired of flushing poisons out of his teammate's system.

It was just like the stories said – vengeance was sweet.

oOoOo

It had taken all of Sasuke's patience – not that he had much, if he was honest – to wait for his battle against Sandman of Sunagakure. Naruto's fight had been the only one that Sasuke spared his full attention, since he had actually fought the Uchiha heir years ago. Naruto looked like he'd come a long way since that fight in Wave Country, but then… so had Sasuke. He would give his left arm for a rematch, and the only thing that stood in his way was a short dude who controlled sand the way Haku did ice.

Sasuke didn't hear anything Konan said until the very end, when the Proctor spoke the only word that Sasuke cared about: '_begin._' Then Sandman did something strange – his armor detached and pulled away from himself, folding up into a compact block about the size of a briefcase. The genin inside was Sasuke's age, although a bit shorter, with an unruly mop of red hair and the kanji for love tattooed on his forehead.

"My name is Gaara," said his opponent. "I am the son of the Kazekage. As a part of Sandstorm, I wore my armor to show my solidarity with my teammates. But as a finalist, I wish to fight as myself… and the only armor I need is my sand."

"Admirable," Sasuke said, drawing the Lightning Swords Kiba and grinning with anticipation. "But then, you Sandstorm loons never did lack for courage, did you?"

That was as much as Sasuke could say in public, though he hoped his opponent recognized the reference to the Kiri Rebellion. Sasuke regretted not seeing Sandstorm in action then, even if only so that he could have a better sense of Gaara's abilities. They had been allies once, but Sasuke couldn't afford to do anything more than obliquely acknowledge the debt Kiri owed Sandstorm. The time for repayment would come after Madara had fallen… if Sasuke was still alive.

For a moment more, Sasuke and Gaara stood still and traded knowing glances. A strange feeling came over Sasuke, as he watched his red-headed opponent with the bulky gourd strapped to his back. It was almost like… like he'd been here before.

"Are you getting a weird sense of déjà vu?" Sasuke called out. "Or is it just me?"

"…it's just you."

Sasuke shrugged, putting the sensation behind him. "Whatever. Let's tango."

He fired an opening salvo, twin lightning bolts that hit a quick-forming wall of hardened sand and fizzled out. More sand poured out of Gaara's gourd, shaping around him in layer after layer until only his face was still visible. The sand took the form of a golem, though it shifted and remained fluid.

"I may not be able to summon a guardian out of chakra," Gaara said wryly, "but I'm far from defenseless."

The sand golem came tearing across the field, sacrificing speed for power. It absorbed a flurry of lightning bolts with no perceived ill effects, causing Sasuke to have to give way and use his speed to avoid Gaara's rush.

_Time to suit up…_

Sasuke activated his Lightning Release armor, and on Gaara's next pass he met the sand golem head-on. Their collision resulted in an explosion of sand and electricity, momentarily blinding the audience.

When the light faded, something strange had appeared. At the point of impact, there was a strange construct that seemed to be made of glass. It curved and looped almost like flames, and despite its obvious fragility it remained upright.

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke demaned.

"Hm… I believe it is what happens when sand of a certain type and consistency is struck by lightning. I must admit, I have never seen this happen before."

"Will it happen every time your sand collides with my Lightning Armor?" Sasuke demanded.

Gaara shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

More sand poured from his gourd and formed smaller versions of the golem-armor that encased him, complete with his features. The sand clones launched themselves at Sasuke, who blurred into motion and swept past each clone, wielding Kiba's conjoined form with ease.

Each strike decimated another sand clone, but instead of disappearing they morphed into glass, their molecular structure altered by the lightning's intense heat. As clone after clone exploded and became glass, the entire Arena began to look like some bizarre modern art installation. It was beautiful, in a strange and alien sort of way.

"I'm at a disadvantage," Gaara said, after hardening his sand-armor. "Once my sand turns to glass, it no longer responds to my will. But if I harden my sand to the point where it no longer reacts to your lightning, I can no longer control it at long range."

"I'm so sorry for you," Sasuke said, narrowly avoiding a whip of sand that tried to catch him from behind. "You seem really broken up about it. Why don't you surrender?"

Gaara responded by forming a series of bullets out of sand, then propelling them with a massive gust of wind. They shot at Sasuke like rounds from a machine gun, and he was forced to do some fancy sword-work to deflect them.

"Wind Release, huh?" Sasuke grinned.

_So he doesn't only use sand… interesting._

"Whatever techniques you've got hidden up your sleeve, you're still not as fast as I am!" Sasuke cried, blurring into motion once again. He obliterated a half-dozen more sand clones, leaving glass statues in his wake, before homing in on Gaara himself with Kiba poised to strike.

"_Shield of Shukaku!_"

Gaara disappeared behind a construct of sand that took the shape of a tanuki, roughly three times Gaara's size and wearing a peasant's wide-brimmed straw hat. It had red markings around its stomach, which was where Sasuke's attack landed.

The impact generated the largest electrical discharge yet, but the shield held. Sasuke was both surprised and impressed – there weren't many defenses capable of turning aside a frontal attack from Kiba's conjoined form. He didn't have time to dwell on the phenomenon, however, because Gaara launched his own counterattack immediately.

The redhead appeared atop the tanuki construct's straw hat. He had ditched the sand-golem armor, and even his gourd – he looked quite strange without it, although he moved with speed that Sasuke hadn't seen from him before.

"_Spear of Shukaku!_"

The straw hat morphed into the shape of a halberd, the blade of which was shaped like an oversized paw, with red markings that resembled flames. "Like my Ultimate Defense, this spear is made from the hardest minerals I can extract from the earth," Gaara declared. "I have never met a defense that could turn aside an attack from this spear. Let us see what a legendary sword of Kiri is truly worth."

Spear met sword as the genin clashed in midair, the collision generating a thunderclap that echoed off the Arena walls. Sasuke and Gaara both lost their weapons, as the force necessary to keep hold of them would have torn their hands off. Without Kiba to power his Lightning Armor, Sasuke's defense flickered and faded.

The two genin faced off on the scorched earth of the Arena, surrounded by a gallery of glass statues.

Sasuke smirked. "How's your taijutsu?"

Gaara's opening kick almost took his head off, which was enough answer for Sasuke. They traded punches in a blur of motion, then began an elaborate dance back and forth across the scorched ground. The shattered glass as they fought, and it crunched underfoot. Sasuke realized that although Gaara was exceptionally skilled, even more so when one considered that he was primarily a mid-to-long-range fighter, he wasn't good enough to beat Sasuke. Not with pure taijutsu, at least.

Sasuke chose his moment carefully, then launched a counter-attack he'd learned from Zabuza. It involved a feint and a reverse roundhouse, and it resulted in Sasuke's foot connecting squarely with Gaara's temple.

Sasuke had connected with enough force to snap a human's neck, so he was surprised that Gaara only staggered backwards. Gaara's hand went up to his face, and Sasuke gasped at the strange sight: it looked like his opponent's face was breaking apart.

A second later he realized the truth, and scolded himself for being so quick to draw weird conclusions. It was just that Gaara had yet _another_ layer of protection, this time armor of sand that had taken on the precise color of Gaara's skin.

"Kami's balls, how many layers of armor do you _have?_" Sasuke exclaimed. "First the Sandstorm armor, then the sand-golem, and now sneaky camouflage armor? Come on!"

Gaara took his hand away from his face. He was bleeding slightly, as his innermost layer of armor hadn't been able to completely turn aside the force of Sasuke's attack. Gaara gazed at the blood for a second, then grinned at Sasuke. It was a strange grin – childish, almost playful. It was the smile of a child without a care in the world, and frankly it creeped the hell out of Sasuke.

"I remember the last time I bled like this," Gaara said fondly. "It was right before I met my best friends in the world. How funny, that I should receive a similar wound here."

"Yeah…" Sasuke said weakly. "Funny… um, can you stop smiling like that and just fight? You're creeping me out."

Gaara laughed, and although he then did as Sasuke asked and wiped the smile from his face, the corners of his eyes still crinkled with amusement. "Very well. I will fight… although I see that you are superior in terms of taijutsu, so I must resort to more drastic measures."

"What exactly qualifies as drastic?" Sasuke asked snarkily. "I'm curious."

Sand erupted from Gaara's very body. It wrapped around him in tight layers, but this was entirely different from his sand-golem armor. This sand was lighter in color, and shot through with blue lines that looked suspiciously like veins.

When the transformation was complete, a Gaara-sized tanuki now faced Sasuke, complete with tail and sharp claws, with flesh that was born of the sand. The chakra surge that accompanied Gaara's transformation brought with it an unpleasant blast from the past. Sasuke remembered the last time an opponent had transformed and suddenly gained boosted chakra levels… that particular experience had ended with him flying into a tree. _Not_ an experience he particularly wanted to repeat.

"So," Sasuke said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "Drastic… yeah, I'd say that qualifies."

He completed the Body-Flicker technique just in time. From his new position across the battlefield, Sasuke winced as Gaara's tail whipped through his after-image with deadly intent.

_Damn… I think I'm going to have to use _that _technique – my sharingan is still off-limits, and Gaara is definitely going to be faster than me now. I just have to hold him off long enough to set it up…_

"_Burning Phoenix jutsu!_" Sasuke activated his first Fire Release jutsu of the tournament, sending a flurry of fireballs after Gaara. It seemed that in this Partial Transformation form his speed was vastly increased, however, because Gaara dodged every fireball with ease. He moved so quickly he left after-images in his wake, and Sasuke had to waste valuable chakra performing a string of Body-Flicker jutsus to stay one step ahead of Gaara's relentless pursuit.

Sasuke used the Burning Phoenix jutsu once more, only this time he hid lengths of ninja wire inside the flames. The paths of the fireballs were not actually as erratic as they seemed, instead calculated to send wires strategically in many different directions. Sasuke intentionally lingered in one place for a second longer than he had to, then yanked on his ninja wires as Gaara swooped in for the kill.

The wires caught him and squeezed tight, trussing him up for a moment like a squirming animal. Sasuke wasn't about to waste the opportunity – his hands were already flashing through the seals for his strongest Fire Release technique. "_Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!_"

A massive dragon made of fire materialized in front of Sasuke, its mouth wreathed in smoke and the heat from its passage raising the temperature in the entire Arena. It roared into the sky, which began to darken as the increase in air temperature contributed to the formation of storm clouds above their heads.

The fire dragon paused in the air, then curved majestically and began to plummet towards Gaara, who still struggled with his bonds. The dragon fell almost in slow motion – there was no need to hurry as long as Gaara was trapped by the reinforced steel wires, and Sasuke had his reasons for wanting the fire technique to stay airborne as long as possible.

When the Fire Release technique was level with the middle rows of seats, Gaara solved his problem rather neatly – two new arms sprouted from his Transformed flesh, and they flashed through a series of hand seals. In a voice much harsher than his human one, he growled, "_Shield of Shukaku!_"

The oversized tanuki shield materialized just in time, and Sasuke's second-strongest technique hit the shield with punishing force. The resulting flames shout out in other directions, becoming a half-circle that reached far above the Arena walls.

Skilled Uchiha Policemen used fuuinjutsu to activate the flame-retardant barriers built into the sections that would have been fried by the technique's diverted fury. The barrier techniques glowed violet, and many a civilian underneath the barrier questioned their decision to watch the tournament live instead of on television.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the battle, Gaara's Ultimate Defense stood unharmed, and Gaara had managed to free himself from the restricting wires. A fresh surge of chakra and living sand proved too much even for the reinforced steel, and the jinchuuriki from Suna had regained the use of his limbs.

"A neat trick, but useless," Gaara sneered. "You won't catch me like that again. But you have been a worthy opponent, and your blood will enrich my sand!"

There was a cruelty in his voice that hadn't been there before, and that blood talk was _seriously_ weird. Sasuke wondered if this Partial Transformation weakened Gaara's control over his demon… if that were the case, then it would be best to end this fight quickly.

Sasuke glanced skyward, where the storm clouds caused by the abrupt spike in temperature from his Great Dragon technique were swirling nicely.

_Yeah… I think it's about time to toss the dice. I can only do this once per battle, so it had better work!_

"Hey, Gaara!" Sasuke called out, hoping fiercely that he could keep Gaara distracted for the next few _crucial_ seconds. "Have you noticed the trap I've been setting up? You walked right into it, you know."

The monstrous tanuki that Gaara had become looked around warily, no doubt searching for more hidden wires.

"Nope," Sasuke said in his best 'I know something you don't' tone. "Above you!"

Gaara looked up, where the dark clouds now resembled a whirlpool centered over the Arena. He looked back at Sasuke, and even with his inhuman features the look of dawning comprehension was apparent.

"Got it in one!" Sasuke crowed. "Time to taste _my_ ultimate attack… and it packs more of a punch than your little sand-spear, let me tell you!"

He completed the necessary hand-seals, gathering his chakra and reveling in the sense of power resonating from the storm clouds overhead. "_Kirin!_"

Gaara had never moved faster than now, leaving a dozen after-images as he rocketed _into_ his ultimate defense, the stomach of which opened to receive him, and closed after he entered.

Sasuke's ultimate attack, which had taken over a year to perfect under Itachi's tutelage, came roaring out of the heavens with unstoppable fury. A lightning bolt in the shape of a great dragon struck the Shield of Shukaku and obliterated all sight with an explosion of white light.

When the attack faded, the Ultimate Defense still stood… but it was different. Instead of a tanuki made of ultra-hardened sand, there was a tanuki made entirely of glass. The chemical reaction that had destroyed so many of Gaara's sand clones was now replicated on a massive scale, turning Gaara's technique into an exquisite sculpture.

And in the center, trapped by the translucent glass that no longer responded to his will, was Gaara. His red hair refracted through the glass, a spot of fire crystallized and frozen in time.

There was a long, weighty silence. Then the crowd erupted, celebrating a victory that had turned the very heavens into a weapon.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awesome," Sasuke drawled, waving his hand in lazy acknowledgment. "Now can we get a few Proctors down here? I like that scrappy little redhead, and I don't want him to suffocate in there!"

oOoOo

It took awhile to get the crowd calmed down after the Kiri Swordsman's flashy victory, but eventually they subsided. Konan announced the results of the quarterfinals, and the lots for the semifinals were drawn up. Hinata awaited them with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Exhilaration and dread turned her insides into knots.

The first round of the semifinals was announced: Miko of Otogakure versus Naruto of Konohagakure. The crowd cheered, and for just an instant, Hinata saw white. She blinked, and it seemed as if she somehow teleported into the Arena. She didn't remember moving, but there she was… and Naruto stood across from her.

There were hundreds, if not thousand of shinobi in the stands. Adding in the audiences in villages around the continent watching on television, there were literally tens of thousands of pairs of eyes watching this fight.

For Hinata, however, the universe shrank until it contained only two people: herself, and Naruto. Hinata had the strange sense that every step she'd taken on her long road had always been leading to this moment. Noticing Naruto when he was a brash troublemaker, nursing a one-sided crush on the unattainable heir to her mortal enemy, those precious stolen hours spent training by the bank of the Naka River, and the growing despair as Hinata realized that what she wished for would never, could never happen… and at the last, having all her fears confirmed when she returned to see Naruto with Uchiha eyes. All merely stages in an evolutionary process that brought them both here, at the apex of the moment that would decide Konoha's future.

_It doesn't matter what we were before. The future I seek has no room for blood-red eyes._

"I've been waiting for this for a while," Naruto called out. He was tense as a bowstring drawn taut, ready to snap forward. "You hurt my teammates in the forest, and you almost killed my friend! I'm going to beat you to a pulp for what you did to Neji!"

Hinata could only laugh – it was a harsh, bitter sound with nothing of amusement about it. The Uchiha heir lecturing _her_ about her treatment of a Sealed shinobi… it was either laugh or go insane. Maybe a bit of both.

The Curse Seal, never far away in recent days, whispered insistently that this weak, pampered child had no business telling her how to deal with her inferiors. Neji's life was hers to take – as was Naruto's, for that matter.

"Come," Hinata whispered, not caring if Naruto could hear her or not. "Let us end this farce."

_An end… an end to everything. Just a little longer, and it will finally be over._

"The first semifinal match will begin: NOW!" Konan yelled, drawing a roar of anticipation from the crowd. They had whipped themselves into a frenzy during the quarterfinals, and now they expected even more… more danger, more explosions, more blood.

"_Shadow Clone jutsu!_" Naruto surrounded Hinata with a circle of Shadow Clones. It was precisely the same maneuver he'd used to begin the fight against Suigetsu, even down to the number of clones.

"That didn't work the last time," Hinata pointed out. "Why try it again? You'll never catch me with a visual genjutsu." The hood covering her face made sure of that.

"I'm not planning on having them cast genjutsu," Naruto declared. "This time my clones will be a little less… fragile."

Twenty pairs of Mangekyou sharingan eyes whirled, and twenty clones spoke in unison: "_Clone Release: Susanoo Squadron!_"

Hinata found herself surrounded by twenty sky-blue guardians, each three times her size and shimmering with translucent yet semi-corporeal chakra. They bore identical swords and shields, and very unpleasant smiles. Hinata was so startled that she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"There's no such thing as 'Clone Release'…"

"Damn it, I'll make up my own names if I want to!" Naruto yelled from within his own Susanoo, which was considerably larger than the others. "Go, my awesome clone army! Stomp her flat!"

There was no other choice – Hinata tapped into the power of her Curse Mark, and went straight into Stage Two. This was only the second time she had tapped the full power of her new ability, and it frightened her how utterly _right_ it felt.

The audience couldn't see most of the physical changes taking place. They couldn't see her skin turn a pale, milky-white, clear as her eyes yet leathery and tough. They couldn't see her teeth elongate and become fangs. But the shinobi, at least, could sense the chakra levels spiking with a vengeance… and even the civilians could see the extra set of arms that sprouted underneath the first set, tearing holes in her jacket.

_Freedom. No more hiding! Not now, not ever!_

Hinata flew to meet the first clone, and she met its Shield Bash with two fists wreathed in blue chakra. Her Jyuuken blast was not _just_ a Jyuuken blast – in fact, it was a combination of Tsunade's powerful taijutsu with the Gentle Fist style, brought to its fullest potential by the power of a kage flowing through her thanks to her Second Stage curse seal.

The attack shredded the clone's Susanoo armor like paper, and the clone inside popped out of existence a moment later.

A part of Hinata's mind was screaming, saying that this wasn't the plan, that she was revealing herself too soon. But the part that was in charge didn't care. She was done being a quiet little mouse. Power sang in her blood, and it felt _amazing!_

_I am Death!_

Without consciously choosing to do so, Hinata began an augmented version of the Heavenly Palm Strikes technique, with twice the hit rate now that her Curse form had granted her another pair of arms. Naruto's Susanoo-clad clones tried to overwhelm her with sheer numbers, but Hinata didn't give an inch.

Each strike generated a solid wave of chakra that obliterated each miniature Susanoo it touched. She no longer cared that Jiraiya's plan called for attacking during the final match. She no longer cared that the slow-acting serum might not have freed the Sealed shinobi yet. Nothing mattered except the beauty of the power she wielded, and the visceral satisfaction she experienced every time she decimated the ribcage of another Susanoo and dispelled the clone inside.

No one living could do what she was doing now – in all the wide world, she was the only one capable of combining the Slug Sannin's steel-crushing taijutsu with the chakra propulsion of the Jyuuken style. No one could replicate it, and no one could stand before it… least of all Naruto, who soon found himself alone, all of his Susanoo-clad clones destroyed.

Naruto's Susanoo was considerably larger than the others had been, and most likely more resilient. But Hinata wasn't anywhere near done. She raised her hands – all four of them – and gathered chakra in the shape of a lion's head. This technique had begun as the Juho Soshiken, itself one of the most powerful techniques in a Hyuuga's arsenal. But this jutsu was so much more than that.

Hinata had learned many things from the Sannin. Orochimaru's largest gift had been the Curse Mark, while Tsunade's biggest contribution to Hinata's arsenal was the key to her new taijutsu style that melded Tsunade's monstrous strength with the Hyuuga clan's taijutsu. From Jiraiya, Hinata had learned fuuinjutsu and the art of Shape Manipulation.

Hinata could manipulate her chakra into several shapes capable of wreaking immense amounts of destruction, taking techniques such as the Juho Soshiken to new heights. This particular technique, which Hinata had not yet come up with a name for, imbued the Juho Soshiken with all the power of a Jyuuken blast, yet allowed it to keep its form after moving away from Hinata. The weakness of most Jyuuken techniques was their short range – with Shape Manipulation, Hinata could launch her chakra lions over vast distances in a second, without losing any of the technique's incredible power.

Hinata let out a bloodcurdling cry and launched four identical chakra lions towards Naruto's Susanoo.

They each hit one of the guardian's limbs, and the explosion of chakra upon impact proved too much for it to withstand. Arms and legs were sheared off of Susanoo's torso, and Naruto fell to the Arena floor, dispelling Susanoo as he did.

He didn't counter-attack. Instead, he stared at Hinata with suspicion and a hint of dread in his eyes. "You move like Neji did sometimes when we sparred," he whispered. "And I've seen chakra lions like that before, though they didn't attack at long range."

"You _still_ don't understand?" Hinata marched towards Naruto. He took an almost involuntary step forward. Chaos was erupting in the stands, but neither of them noticed.

"Who are you?"

"You really don't know?" Hinata demanded. One step forward. Another. "I am the savior of Konoha. Daughter of a murdered father, heiress of an enslaved clan. And I will have my vengeance… in this life or the next." She took measured steps until Naruto stood a mere arm's length away. She reached a bone-white hand to her hood, and threw it back. "_Now_ do you see?"

It took a second as Naruto had to see past the physical changes of her Second Stage form. Then his eyes widened, and the breath left his lungs as if he'd been struck. "Hina-"

Hinata's palm strike hit him in the midsection, cutting off his words and illuminating him briefly with a wash of blue chakra. Naruto's torso became a red ruin, the seal on his stomach utterly decimated. He coughed once, blood spurting involuntarily from his open mouth.

Hinata felt nothing, heard nothing – not even her Curse Seal disturbed the utter emptiness of her mind. She pulled Naruto closer, ignoring the gushing red of his wounds, the look of shock and betrayal in his eyes. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"_Die._"

Thus began the Invasion of Konoha.

**End of Part 7**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: ** I have received several extremely offensive anonymous reviews that I have since removed – I believe they are from the same person, and I'll ask you right now to stop posting reviews. Nothing condoning rape or abuse will ever appear in my work, whether in my stories OR in the comments, and I was deeply disturbed and offended by the reviews in question. If this continues, I will disable anonymous reviews.

This experience, while relatively minor, is frighteningly common on this site, and it shouldn't be. The anonymity of the Internet is not a license to spew sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise intolerant poison. Please take ownership of what you write on the web.

Back to the story. I've left you all with a pretty twisted cliffhanger for longer than I would have liked, but now midterms and a pile of essays are behind me and business can resume as usual. I meant to post this much sooner, but it was harder to write than I thought. This chapter gave me one headache after another, as all the various fights are beginning to take shape, and the carefully crafted plans of the different factions begin to fall apart.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Part 8: War Zone**

**Chapter 44**

Madara could have sworn he was dreaming. He actually jumped to his feet when Naruto was injured by his opponent. Not once during the entire fight had Madara actually feared for Naruto's well-being. The Oto kunoichi had an extremely powerful style, to be sure, but Naruto should have been equal to it. He _was_ equal to it, damn it! That final blow should have seemed like an attack in slow-motion to the blond Uchiha, whose speed was considerable even without the Kyuubi's chakra.

_Naruto… why didn't you defend yourself?!_

The attack should not have been difficult to dodge. No, Naruto had simply failed to protect himself. The conclusion was obvious - somehow, Naruto knew this girl. He knew her well enough to be shocked when she revealed her identity. And she had used that moment to try and kill him.

When Madara disappeared from the Kage's roped-off section with his fastest Body-Flicker jutsu, he wasn't thinking about how his plans might now be derailed – the only thought in his mind was to get to his son before the Oto kunoichi could finish him off.

Naruto's opponent detected Madara's attack, even moving fast as he was, and jumped backwards with a surge of chakra. It was an impressive show of awareness, but then she had an advantage in that area.

_Damn byakugan… I should have had Orochimaru kill the bitch before the final Tournament!_

But "should have" wouldn't save Naruto. Madara planted himself between his son and the Oto kunoichi, ignoring the confused cries coming from the spectators. He wanted nothing more than to squash the girl like a bug, but his first priority was to protect Naruto, who was losing a lot of blood and vulnerable to further attack.

As if to underscore Madara's thoughts, Naruto loosed a primal scream that sounded as if it had been torn from his resisting throat. Madara spared a glance over his shoulder to take in his son's condition.

Naruto was bleeding freely from his gut – it was a wound that would surely kill him if left untreated. But more worrying still was the chakra bubbling from Naruto's very skin and surrounding him like a cloak of fire. Naruto's head was thrown back, his back arched, and the veins in his neck bulged as he wrestled with an invisible force.

Madara was puzzled for a moment – Naruto's control of the Kyuubi was advanced enough that even a mortal wound shouldn't have weakened his hold. The wound had completely destroyed the seal on Naruto's stomach, the one that had kept the Kyuubi constrained all of Naruto's life, but that shouldn't matter. Naruto was a master of the Mangekyou sharingan, just as Madara was, and he should have been able to seal away the Kyuubi's energy with his doujutsu. Then Madara remembered.

_The damn Oto seal!_

Naruto was still affected by the remnants of the seal he'd received from Kabuto in the Forest of Death. It blocked Naruto from accessing the Fox's chakra, and now it was undoubtedly keeping Naruto from accessing his mindscape to subdue the raging demon within.

The plan had been for Naruto to erode that seal himself, little by little. That plan had to change _now_.

"Naruto!" Madara shouted, gathering a massive amount of chakra and preparing to shape it into his most powerful defensive technique. "You have to destroy the chakra-suppressing seal! Once the seal is destroyed, you can subdue the Kyuubi and harness its healing abilities to fix your wound. Focus, Naruto!"

The only answer he received was the first of the Fox's nine tails sprouting from the back of Naruto's chakra cloak. The level of killing intent and chakra emanating from Naruto spiked proportionately.

There was no time to give Naruto more advice, and no guarantee that he could hear it anyway. All Madara could do now was protect him from external enemies, and trust that his son could defeat the internal one.

_All Naruto needs to do to is reassert dominance over the Kyuubi with his Mangekyou sharingan alone… as I once did. Although I never intended this, it will be his crucible. His final test. As the coming war shall be for Konoha._

_You can do it, Naruto. You're my son, the pride and hope of the Uchiha clan. Fight!_

Madara crafted his Susanoo faster than he ever had before, forcing it away from his body even as the ribcage formed. Ghostly bones snapped shut around Naruto, enclosing his chakra cloak and the first of the Kyuubi's tails within. Madara summoned layer after layer to complete his Susanoo, grafting flesh and armor and anchoring his guardian to the ground. This was Susanoo as it was meant to be, in its perfected, final form – even Naruto, who could create multiple Susanoo with his tremendous chakra reserves, could not create an armored behemoth as strong as Madara's.

In seconds the technique was complete, and Madara was free to survey the field and take stock of his opposition. The Hyuuga brat was there, of course, still in the monstrous form granted her by her curse seal. She was not alone, however. Madara was unsurprised to see that she had been joined by two of the Legendary Sannin.

Jiraiya, the meddling fool, stood between Hinata and Madara in a warlike pose. Sinister red markings darkened his eyes and cheeks, and his nose was unnaturally bulbous and warty. If that weren't enough to signal to Madara that the Sannin had entered the Sage Mode for which he was famous, the two elderly toads perched on his shoulders would have clued him in.

Tsunade stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiraiya, blonde hair tied back in pigtails and a sleeveless gray shirt revealing her muscular arms. At her shoulder was a young, dark-haired kunoichi Madara didn't recognize, though she shadowed Tsunade like a bodyguard.

That wasn't all - behind the two Sannin and their student was the full might of Suna's Sandstorm corps. Twelve shinobi in matching armor, except for Suna's jinchuuriki, who had demonstrated in his tournament battle how redundant it was for him to wear armor. Gaara looked a little the worse for wear after his battle with Sasuke, but he stood with his teammates and appeared ready to fight.

Sandstorm formed a loose semicircle behind Hinata, ready to attack in any direction should anyone come to Madara's aid.

_Fifteen against one… _Madara mused. _I could almost feel sorry for them._

Tsunade turned briefly to stare at Hinata, who watched Madara with an all-consuming anger burning in her white eyes. "What were you thinking?" the Slug Sannin demanded. "You weren't supposed to reveal yourself until the serum takes effect!"

"She wasn't thinking," Jiraiya answered in her place. "The damned curse seal must be feeding off her anger, amplifying her emotions. She's not in control of herself."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not even here!" Hinata growled, lips curling back from gleaming fangs.

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped. "You've already screwed things up enough. Another word and I'll end you myself."

Hinata scoffed but remained silent, her gaze never leaving Madara's mask.

"The situation is still salvageable," Jiraiya declared. "The serum will activate any minute now, and Sandstorm can signal the forces outside the wall. The Invasion can begin."

Madara thought it was about time to speak up. "Finally we meet, Jiraiya," he said. The entire arena became silent as the grave at the sound of his voice. Even the wind seemed to still, as if the world itself listened. "You've done an excellent job of running away thus far. It's nice to meet you in the flesh."

"No more running," Jiraiya declared. "Today you answer for your crimes."

Madara paid no attention to the threat. "_Sandstorm…_" he mused, drawing out the word. "Are those really the children you kidnapped all those years ago? Ah, where does the time go?"

Several of the armored figures stiffened at Madara's words. Even Jiraiya looked a bit shaken, though he recovered quickly.

"It doesn't matter what you think you know. It's too late to change anything."

Madara chuckled darkly. He wanted to spin this out as long as possible, to give his son time to destroy the remnants of Kabuto's seal. "Oh? Change what, exactly?"

Tsunade took a step forward, the earth underfoot shivering with the sheer force of the chakra she emanated. "You're outnumbered and outmatched. The forces of Suna, Oto, and Konoha's loyal shinobi can destroy the Military Police many times over, even with your allies from Ame. You face the combined might of three armies, led by the Three Sannin, reunited at the height of our power. Face it, Madara – your time is over!"

"Oh?" Madara said scornfully. "I see no armies. I see two failures, a crazy girl, and a pack of runaway brats. If the Legendary Sannin are truly my opponents, where is the last of your number? Where is the famous Orochimaru?"

"I believe that's my cue."

Those words, spoken in an amused drawl that caused the blood in Tsunade's face to drain away, came from the Kazekage. The turbaned, tattooed Kage arrived in the arena with a Body-Flicker jutsu, letting his robes billow behind him dramatically. He stood several paces in front of Madara, leaving his back open and vulnerable to any strike by the Hokage. It was the clearest possible indication of where his loyalty lay.

There were several flashes of motion, then the Kazekage's guards appeared in a tight cluster around him. Puffs of smoke signaled simultaneous Transformation jutsu, and then the newcomers were revealed. All wore the purple ropes of Oto around their waists, and together they made a strange tableau indeed.

One was vastly overweight, with cruel eyes and orange hair. The only girl in the group had red hair that partially covered one eye, and a taunting smirk. A dark-skinned young man had two extra pairs of arms, and the final bodyguard had what appeared to be a second head sprouting from his neck.

Two slight flashes of motion signaled the arrival of Kimimaro and Kabuto, who took mirrored stances in front of the Kazekage.

_Now it is fifteen against seven_.

The redheaded jinchuuriki from Suna took a halting step, then stopped, restrained by his comrades. "Father… _no!_"

The Kazekage grinned, casting aside his turban and revealing yellow eyes with slitted pupils.

"_Orochimaru,_" Jiraiya spat. "You- you _snake!_"

Hinata shot forward, keening a war cry, but Tsunade caught her by the shoulder and held her still.

The Kazekage laughed, and kept laughing as his face split down the middle. Flesh sloughed away, and clothing as well, until the Kazekage's body pooled on the ground like a freshly-shed snakeskin.

Orochimaru was revealed, standing straight and proud in his Otogakure uniform, an expectant grin on his pale face. "You know," he murmured, glancing down at the rubbery mess that had once been the Kazekage, "for one of the strongest shinobi in the world, he was embarrassingly easy to kill. Some people have no subtlety."

Tsunade's face was set and grim. "I expected you to betray us… but I didn't think you could _possibly_ be stupid enough to turn on your allies before we defeated Madara. Don't you understand what you've done? There's no way you get out of this alive. If _we_ don't kill you, Madara will. Do you think he could ever trust someone who covets the sharingan?"

"I once thought the same… but _you_ solved that dilemma, Tsunade dear."

"_I_ did? What insanity are you spewing now?"

Orochimaru chuckled evilly. "You healed Kimimaro, did you not? He was always my favored vessel, even above an Uchiha. The sharingan is a beautiful ability, but it is not the only one worth having. The Hokage understood that, and offered his hand in friendship if I was willing to acknowledge his authority. Madara is a different man than we thought. Much more… open-minded."

Orochimaru craned his neck and gave Madara an ironic bow. Madara lowered his head a fraction, keeping a grip on his anger. Orochimaru was _not_ in his good books right now, even if they were technically working together.

Orochimaru seemed to sense his mood, and was smart enough to guess its cause. He spread his hands apologetically. "Ah… I _am_ sorry about what the girl did to your heir, Hokage-sama. Had I the least suspicion that she would actually manage to land a hit, I would have instructed her teammates to kill her in the Forest. I thought that Naruto would surely kill her. I… I hope that this won't damage our agreement. It was a mistake on my part, but you must believe me, it was never one I intended."

Madara raised an eyebrow, assessing the fear in Orochimaru's eyes. It seemed genuine, which was good. If he'd had the least suspicion of Orochimaru trying to have his son assassinated, he would kill him on the spot. But that explanation didn't hold water – it was undeniable that the current situation was Naruto's own fault.

When Naruto regained control over his demon and used the fox's chakra to heal his injuries, Madara was going to have some _very_ severe words with him. No matter how well he'd known the girl, there was no excuse for not dodging a straight shot to the gut.

"If my son survives and the rebels are crushed, then I'll honor my part of the deal," Madara said coldly, fixing Orochimaru with his gaze. "If he dies… I hold you fully responsible. No amount of body-snatching will save you."

_Best to keep Orochimaru off-balance, just in case. He's an ambitious one, even worse than Pain. At least _that _bastard is straightforward. Orochimaru will try to twist and turn until he finds a path that puts him on top._

"In that case," Orochimaru said smoothly, "may I offer an additional layer of defense while your son, ah… wrestles with his inner demon, so to speak? My bodyguards are barrier experts, and they can create a strong defense around your Susanoo, if it will make you feel more at ease while destroying this rabble."

Madara considered for a brief moment. With at least two Kage-level opponents facing him, extra layers of defense only seemed prudent. He was confident in his own skills, but he couldn't really let loose as long as Naruto was exposed. Madara didn't like the idea of anything else separating him from Naruto, but the risk was minimal as long as his own Susanoo remained intact.

He felt a vague chakra spike, muffled by the obstruction of his Susanoo, and turned to see Naruto sprout another chakra tail.

"Do it," he ordered Orochimaru. "And remember that your life is directly tied to his."

Orochimaru's bodyguards sprang into action, forming a small square around Naruto and Madara's Susanoo. They began their preparations for a combination barrier requiring massive amounts of chakra and pinpoint precision.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the three Sandstorm jounin moved as if to interfere, but they didn't get far. Another team of shinobi appeared in their path, moving with speed far beyond that of your average jounin. It was Pain and his cronies: Kakuzu, Deidara, Sasori, and Konan. They radiated menace while blocking Sandstorm's path, dark robes fluttering slightly in the breeze.

"Well, look at this," Orochimaru drawled. "It's turning into a regular circus down here."

Sasori spared him a withering glance, but didn't deign to respond. Deidara laughed appreciatively, rubbing his hands together with savage anticipation.

The Sound Four completed their technique, and a four-sided barrier of translucent violet chakra materialized in the air around Madara's Susanoo. The barrier stretched high in the air, far higher even than the walls of the stadium, so that anyone within miles of Konoha would see the shining construct against the skyline.

Jiraiya gestured to a Sandstorm kunoichi, the one with the giant fan. "Alert our forces," he said urgently. "They're about to be ambushed!"

"Too little, too late," Orochimaru declared, even as the Suna kunoichi Summoned a sickle weasel and sent it with desperate speed over the wall of the arena. "That barrier was always the signal for our surprise attack, though we originally planned to enclose the entire arena. Your ground forces are in for an unpleasant surprise."

The audience had been deathly silent, watching in shock as the arena filled up with a steady procession of incredibly powerful shinobi. Now that silence was shattered as a chorus of screams arose. They were not screams of fear, nor of surprise - these were screams of agony, of soul-destroying pain that obliterated all thought.

Orochimaru surveyed the stands, a half-smile stretching across his face. He listened with a kind of discerning pleasure, like that of a music-lover hearing a particularly fine performance. "Sounds like the serum has taken effect."

Dozens of Konoha shinobi in the stands clutched their heads and writhed in sudden agony. Not all were affected – some recoiled in fear, watching their comrades suffering yet perfectly fine themselves. However, the majority of the Sealed shinobi in the arena were gripped by crippling pain.

When Tsunade turned to Orochimaru, her shoulders were bowed and pain was etched in the lines of her face. She seemed broken, defeated. "How did you do it?" she whispered. "We tested the serum ourselves. Damn it, we watched you for a year and a half!"

Orochimaru shrugged, while Kabuto, standing by his side, looked smug. "_I_ did exactly as I was told," Orochimaru said. His yellow eyes gleamed with malice. "I invented a way to neutralize the seal, and modified it to remove the risk of death. But Kabuto, who in certain areas is my equal in skill, had other orders. I knew you would be watching _me_, so I put my trust in Kabuto. He didn't let me down… as you can see."

Hinata circled helplessly, her second pair of arms clapped over her ears in a vain attempt to block out the screams. "What… I don't understand. I gave them the antidote! What's going on?" Her voice rose at the end into almost a shriek.

"Tut, tut, tut," Orochimaru clucked, drawing her attention. "I understand that you're not at your best right now, but do you still not get it? The serum you delivered neutralizes the seal… by killing the host. All of the pain of the curse seal I gave you, with none of the extra power. Your comrades will die suffering, and _you_ were the vehicle of their destruction! Quite a wonderful irony, is it not?"

"No." Hinata shook her head back and forth with desperate abandon, as if to deny the horror unfolding before her eyes. "No, no, no!"

Madara could see the moment when her grief and rage, fueled and twisted by her curse seal, overwhelmed her rationality. It was like a light went out of her eyes, leaving cold, dead orbs. He prepared for her attack, though Orochimaru probably wouldn't need any help. An unthinking shinobi was easy to dodge.

He needn't have worried. Even before Hinata could take a step forward, the toads on Jiraiya's shoulders hit her with a sound-based genjutsu that froze her in place. "The shock was too much for her," the bearded toad said sadly. "The curse seal has overwhelmed her mind. She's a liability now."

Tsunade hit Hinata with a precise blow to the temple, knocking her unconscious. "Shizune, take her. Test _that_ technique… it's her only hope now. If it works, we'll use it on the rest."

Shizune took Hinata's limp form, which had reverted to a more human shape after she lost consciousness. She used the Body-Flicker jutsu to position herself behind the Sandstorm shinobi, disappearing from view.

"You won't live to regret this," Jiraiya spat at Orochimaru.

Madara took a step forward, once more drawing all eyes towards himself. "We'll see who lives and who dies." He crafted a powerful Wind Release technique, one that would carry his voice to every corner of the arena and beyond.

"**Shinobi of Konoha: we are at war! Suna is our foe, and the shinobi of Ame and Oto are our allies. The Uchiha commanders have their orders, so follow their lead and fight for your village! **

"**Sealed shinobi – you see many of your comrades suffering. That is because they committed treason against Konoha, intending to rebel here today. This is their punishment. **

"**For those unaffected, you have a choice: you can fight with the rebels and die with them; or you can fight for Konoha. Stand with me, and your Seals will be removed. You will be welcomed, rewarded for your bravery, and all past wrongs will be forgiven. Choose wisely. To all representatives from other villages – leave this place immediately. When the fighting starts, there will only be friend or foe. If you are neither, you have no place here."**

The Uchiha captains began to mobilize, gathering their forces to head for the walls. They would be useless here in the arena, and they knew it. Madara would take care of things personally.

In this moment, years of planning had come to fruition. Madara's enemies were revealed, outmaneuvered, and committed to a losing offensive. He was about to keep his promise to Naruto, and usher in an era in which no shinobi bore the stigma of the Seal. And yet Madara did not feel an ounce of triumph; only fear for his son.

_I promised you I was done with the Seals, Naruto. I will keep my word. Those who fight with us this day will become free, respected shinobi of Konoha, even more so than our allies from Oto and Ame. This is what you wanted. Live, Naruto! The world you dreamt of is at hand!_

oOoOo

Itachi knew something was wrong when he saw the violet barrier materialize in the center of Konoha. His three most trusted lieutenants gathered seconds later, looking to him for orders.

"A bad omen," said Lord Sevaroth. The leader of the Vampire Bat clan would fight with Itachi today, as Zabuza had determined that the flying warriors would be more useful against the Military Police than fighting Madara in the arena. Not that he had ordered Sevaroth; he'd only asked. Politely.

"What should we do, Commander?" asked the captain of Itachi's hand-picked Hunter nin. He was far too experienced to look distressed, but there was also nothing that upset a veteran more than unforeseen complications.

"Prepare to move out," Itachi said calmly. "We'll wait two minutes for Sasuke's signal. Tell the men to prepare for heavy resistance on the walls. I have a bad feeling about this…"

The Kiri strike force left their camp intact, and gathered by the bank of the Naka River. Itachi had only chosen Hunter nin and elite warriors of the Kanchiki clan, all of whom could mask their chakra signatures while moving through water faster than most jounin could sprint over solid ground. Following the river would take them close to Konoha's outer walls, while the vampire bats would fly far above them.

Itachi scanned the sky periodically for Sasuke's signal, but it wasn't coming.

_Damn it, what's happening in the arena?_

He turned to his strike force. Three dozen Kiri jounin, and about half that number of warriors from the vampire bat clan, assembled in ordered ranks beside the river. They were about to put their lives on the line for his revenge. Itachi owed them far more than a few words, but that was all he had.

"I don't know what that barrier means," he announced, "but at the very least, we should count on the enemy being prepared. That means Uchiha on the walls, and fighting in the streets. But that's exactly what we've trained for. The Uchiha are _not_ gods, no matter what they think. With foresight and strategy, they will die like anyone else. Are you with me?"

Human shouts mingled with the warlike keening of the vampire bats. Itachi's heart filled with pride and sorrow, as he prepared to lead so many brave men and women into battle.

He had always thought of himself as an avenger, with Sasuke as the only person he cared about. But his time in Kiri had changed him more than he knew. The sword he now bore was a symbol of his new loyalty, of his acceptance into a new village, if not a new family. Was it right to ask these shinobi, the people he was supposed to protect, to give up their lives for a personal vendetta?

But it was far too late to ask that question. All Itachi could do was make sure that as many survived this battle as possible.

A gasp from several of the Hunter nin caused Itachi to look back in the direction of Konoha. Twin bolts of lightning split the sky, extremely close to the purple barrier. They were not natural, for they originated somewhere within the village and struck _upward_.

"There's the signal," Itachi declared. "Two bolts at once means they know we're coming, and the opposition is stronger than we believed. Prepare yourselves!"

Itachi was the first in the water, and he surged upstream with an ease that was the envy of many Kiri shinobi who had trained their entire lives without attaining Itachi's skill with Water Release techniques. Soon the riverbank was empty. The Naka River burbled as it ever did, without a trace of the highly trained killers drawing ever closer to Konoha's outer walls.

_For better or worse, this is it... good luck, little brother. I hope you'll forgive me for what I plan to do._

When the red walls of Konoha came into view, Itachi was surprised that there weren't all that many shinobi on the walls. From Sasuke's signal, he expected to see the full might of the Military Police waiting for them, possibly with Madara at their head. Was it a trap?

_Don't get ahead of yourself,_ Itachi chided himself. _It might be a trap, but they might just be somewhere else… like the arena. If things have really gone to hell, then Zabuza and Mei will be unleashing merry hell. THAT would certainly hold up the cavalry for a while._

Itachi didn't issue any orders as he emerged from the river. His men knew what to do. He began the Hidden Mist jutsu, pulling water from the Naka River and spinning it into the thick, white mist of Kiri's most famous technique. Itachi had enough power and control to swathe a large area with mist, but he wasn't alone. With three dozen of Kiri's best adding to the jutsu, the cloud of mist spread until it engulfed the entirety of Konoha's front gate. The outer walls were shrouded by mist for hundreds of meters on either side, and with every second the mist spread hungrily into the city streets and over rooftops.

The sentries were well-trained – Uchiha military policemen all, and they knew better than to shout in fear or surprise and give away their position. Unfortunately for them, there was no way to hide in the Bloody Mist.

Thanks to their clan ability to sense the presence of water, the Kanchiki knew instinctively where the mist stopped and enemy bodies began. It was an ability that didn't often translate into combat options, but in an environment shrouded by mist it had frightening potential. It wasn't only enemy shinobi that would register against the mist – they could sense the direction and momentum of projectiles and area attacks, and anything else that caused a disruption in the uniform spread of the mist.

Itachi and his hunter-nin lacked that natural advantage, but they were all well-trained in Silent Killing techniques. Most shinobi had neither the time nor the skill required to learn to fight without relying on sight. For the Uchiha, especially, such a thing would be almost sacrilegious. An Uchiha's fighting style centered around the sharingan. It was their greatest strength… and Itachi knew it was also their greatest weakness. A weakness he and Kiri's finest would make them regret before the day was done.

The first of the sentries died without ever knowing why, as Itachi danced by him and slit his throat with a delicate motion of a single kunai. More followed. The Hunter unleashed a devastating, yet silent volley of poisoned kunai. Many of the Kanchiki favored a more subtle approach, thickening the mist around an enemy's face into a globe that cut off their breath. The first wave of Uchiha sentries fought and died in bewildered silence, never seeing their assailants.

It was not an entirely one-sided battle, of course. Those sentries lucky enough to survive the first wave struck back as best they could, with area-wide attacks including blasts of fire and a few lightning bolts. The fire fizzled out quickly, but Itachi heard the agonized cry as one of the Kanchiki was fried by a lightning bolt.

More sentries came sprinting from further down the wall, bravely charging into the mist to help their comrades in their one-sided battle. With more and more sounds mixing and getting distorted by the mist, Itachi began to lose his ability to keep track of everything that was going on. It was difficult enough knowing who was within his own reach, as even his finely-tuned senses struggled to make sense of the cacophony.

He did, however, hear the shriek when one overly clever sentry tried to use a chakra-aided jump to get above the mist, presumably to get a feel for the scope of the battle. Itachi didn't have to see him to guess what happened next: an oversized bat swooping down like a streak of black lightning, squeezing the sentry with powerful claws, and casting the corpse over the battlements like any other piece of trash.

Itachi and his men began moving clockwise around the wall, aiming to eliminate the sentries as they arrived. Their goal was to be as noisy a distraction as possible, attracting the attention of as many of the Military Police as possible. That way, Kisame would meet with little to no opposition on his way through the walls to Konoha's heart.

The Kanchiki lieutenant arrived by Itachi's elbow, remembering to announce himself before Itachi counter-attacked by instinct. Not everyone could tell someone's identity from the way the mist molded to the contours of his face.

"A larger force is coming," he snapped out hurriedly. "Four dozen Uchiha. Officers, from the chakra levels my sensor reported. They're marching towards the front gate along the main road… it's like they don't even care about catching us."

Itachi sighed. "I was afraid they'd figure that out. As long as they chase us around the wall, they're easy prey. Their commander wants to force a confrontation now, before we have a chance to whittle away the stragglers."

"They're marching right into the mist," reported the lieutenant. "We still have the upper hand. Counting the bats, we outnumber them."

"I doubt this fight will be about numbers," Itachi said cryptically. "Gather the men, and deliver my orders to Lord Sevaroth. Infiltrate the village, staying out of sight of the Uchiha officers. Surround them on all sides, starting far out, and close the net. Lord Sevaroth will attack from the air, which will be your signal to engage. Understood?"

"Yes, sir! Ah… you speak like you won't be going with us."

"A trap needs suitable bait," Itachi replied, turning in the direction of Konoha's main gate. "That's my job. Just make sure you're there when I need you."

"Understood, sir! We won't let you down."

Those words echoed in Itachi's mind as he made his way to the front gate.

_We won't let you down._

Itachi felt the weight of those words, the burden they imposed upon him. So many people were fighting for him, _trusted_ him, and would die rather than disappoint him. Yet he was far more likely to betray _them_. With his failure, his weakness… _No._

_I will not die with so much left to be done. I will not betray the trust placed in me… not again._

Itachi reached the front gate, which he recognized from the large guardhouse built into the wall. He leaped down to the open area before the gate, which in peaceful times would have seen a steady bustle of traffic in and out of the village.

Now Itachi could sense the approaching Military Policemen. They made no particular attempt at stealth _or_ speed, and he could hear them easily. It was a mark of Uchiha arrogance that they came to battle openly, deliberately, as if daring the world to attack them.

A familiar voice, made strange by the passing of time and the distortion of the mist, reached Itachi's ears.

"Together, all of you! Get rid of this damned mist!"

_Ah… so there _was _a reason for them to stay together besides arrogance. I underestimated you, Father._

Dozens of voices joined together, and chakra pooled in the heart of the mist. Itachi used an Earth jutsu to hide underground as the combination attack began. It started as a small whirlwind, sustained and given force by the Uchiha officers who could manipulate pure Wind chakra. Veteran Uchiha sometimes achieved proficiency in three or even four of the elemental styles, although Fire would always be their favored vehicle for destructive attacks.

The whirlwind grew, and the rest of the Uchiha added streams of fire that burned white-hot in spite of the dampening effect of the mist. The whirlwind became a house-sized tornado of fire that swept down the street.

The concentration of chakra, the combination of Wind and Fire energy, and the relentless momentum of the combination technique proved too much for the integrity of the mist. It dispersed in the face of the tornado, which passed over Itachi's hiding place and went on to smash directly into the main gate.

Once Itachi sensed that the Bloody Mist was completely gone, he emerged from underground. Konoha's main gate was ablaze. The passing of the fiery whirlwind turned it into an enormous torch that cast a long shadow at Itachi's feet.

Itachi turned away from the blazing gate, settling his cold gaze on the mightiest warriors of the Uchiha clan. His family. But Itachi had eyes for only one, the man who stood at the head of the opposing force. His face was deeply lined, his hair was a steely gray, and he leaned on a walking stick that drew attention to his missing leg. But there was no questioning the power that radiated from him, or the cold air of malice that General Fugaku wore like a cloak.

He spoke in a curt, gravelly voice. "So you've come home."

Itachi bowed his head. "So I have… Father."

Fugaku snorted. "You're no son of mine. You're a traitor, a thief, and a despicable coward."

Fugaku's dark eyes ignited with red, the pupils becoming an intricate tracery much like a spinning pinwheel.

"What do you see with those eyes, Father?" Itachi asked softly, as the tomoe of his own sharingan began to swirl. "Do you see your wife, murdered for no other reason than to satisfy your lust for power? Do you see the bodies of the innocents you massacred?"

Fugaku leveled his cane at Itachi, holding it rock-steady, like a weapon. "I see your death, boy."

Itachi laughed harshly. "Then you see falsely. Only the ignorant believe that sharingan eyes can see the future. Come, let us test the worth of your Mangekyou. It was bought at a dear price, but I think you were cheated – or rather, you cheated yourself."

Fugaku looked around at the houses lining the main road. "We've been talking long enough for your followers to set up their pathetic ambush. What's the matter – are they scared?"

"No," Itachi laughed. "They're just waiting for the signal."

"What sig-"

Fugaku's words were cut off as Lord Sevaroth descended from the sky, unleashing a supersonic Wind jutsu at the lowest point of his dive. The attack caught an unwary Uchiha officer in the center of the enemy formation. His body was reduced to a red pulp in less time than it took to blink.

Military Policemen scrambled to defend themselves, while Itachi's strike force materialized like ghosts from every direction. The Battle of the Gate had begun.

In the midst of the erupting chaos, father and son faced each other in silence, preparing for a clash that would leave only one of them alive.

oOoOo

_- Twenty-five minutes before the Battle of the Gate -_

Furo Tamaji waited impatiently for the Oto Summoners to finish their technique. The violet barrier shone high above the Arena, which meant the time was at hand.

A successful battle meant a brighter future for Suna… and, of course, for Tamaji. He already knew how he was going to decorate his office when he won his seat on the Council.

"Can't you hurry up?" he hissed at the creepy Summoners. He doubted they even heard him, but he needed to vent some of his tension. Thirteen Summoners, pooling their energy to unleash one of Manda's oldest offspring to destroy the walls. It would be a glorious sight.

The delicate tracery of chakra linking the thirteen Summoners brightened, and Tamaji felt his heart race.

_This is it!_

But when the Summoners added their blood to the scrolls before them, completing the technique, the result was not at all what Tamaji expected. Instead of a giant puff of smoke and a three-headed snake that towered over the trees, there were thirteen puffs of smoke and a corresponding number of lightning-quick vipers that flew through the air toward Tamaji.

Reacting instinctively, he slashed one in half with a kunai and got halfway through a one-handed seal with his other hand. But he was too slow. A viper bit his arm, and a second later his joints froze as the venom spread through his system. His vision started to fade, as more of the snakes bit his arms, legs, and neck.

Tamaji could just make out his subordinates, the Suna jounin he had beat out for the position of Commander. They were scrambling to get to him, but the Oto Summoners had moved to the offensive. Tamaji knew, with the clarity of approaching death, that it was too late for him.

_I'll never sit on the Council now…_ he thought as the darkness claimed him.

The Oto Summoners were not skilled in battle, perhaps only high chuunin level. In other circumstances, the five Suna jounin who had been with Tamaji to begin the invasion would have made short work of them. However, the vipers fighting with them were fast and deadly. They burrowed underground where they could hide from shuriken and Wind Release jutsu alike, then leaped out from underfoot to take the Suna jounin by surprise.

The element of surprise proved its worth, and in less than a minute after the initial summoning, the command structure of Suna's ground forces had been killed to the last man.

Several hundred meters away, in a clearing sheltered by some of Konoha's monstrous trees, the bulk of Suna's army heard the shouts and the clash of weapons and knew they were betrayed.

The preliminary attack came from below, as the Summoned vipers burrowed up and began attacking indiscriminately. The ordered camp turned into a chaotic mass.

Everywhere men and women screamed in rage and desperation. The Oto Summoners joined the fray, sticking to the trees and throwing braces of exploding tags that detonated with more than usual force. Alert shinobi turned these attacks away with defensive jutsu including gusts of wind and shields of earth, but these quick-witted few only left themselves open to sneak attacks from the vipers. It was chaos, and only the fact that there weren't actually that many attackers saved the Suna forces from complete carnage.

Among the Suna shinobi currently fighting for their lives was a young man named Toshiro Mifune. He was a career chuunin who had repeatedly turned down promotion to jounin, though he probably could have passed the exam. He didn't like operating alone, as most jounin had to do, and instead preferred to carry out guard duty or patrol for bandits with his best friend, Akira.

Toshiro had already been feeling uneasy, because during the entire march from Suna to Konoha, Akira hadn't said a word. His friend had simply cut him off, refusing to answer any of his questions. Toshiro had chalked it up to anxiety about the coming war, and tried to respect his friend's silence. People dealt with fear in different ways, after all.

But now Oto had betrayed them, and Toshiro might die without ever hearing his friend speak again. Still, if he had to die, it was good that he could die fighting back-to-back with his best friend.

Toshiro launched one of his throwing spears at the cowardly Summoners in the surrounding trees. One of the Oto shinobi was overconfident, dodging just enough so that the throwing spear passed harmlessly by his turban. That was when the explosive tag embedded within the wooden shaft detonated, leaving a headless corpse to fall to the ground. Beside him, Akira actually cracked a smile, which was the first expression Toshiro had seen on his friend's face since they left for Konoha. Toshiro let out a cheer.

Unfortunately, that cheer drew unwanted attention. Two vipers emerged from the ground, propelling themselves through the air towards Toshiro and Akira. Toshiro, who already had another throwing spear ready, thrust forward. The snake, jaws unhinged to strike, couldn't dodge in time and actually swallowed the blade. It dispelled with a puff of smoke as its body shredded.

But Toshiro was too late to stop the second snake. He whirled in fear, yelling out for Akira to dodge. His friend had only barely made chuunin, and his speed was not equal to these vipers. Toshiro's heart broke when he saw the snake reach his friend and bite deeply into his neck – but nothing happened. Akira merely stood there, eyes swiveling downward to inspect the venomous snake currently dangling from his neck.

Toshiro gasped at what happened next: a sharp spike emerged _from Akira's neck_, impaling the snake just underneath its jaw and killing it instantly.

Toshiro could only stand there, gaping, until Akira pointed a finger at him and shouted, "Down!"

He obeyed, dropping to the floor even as he registered that Akira's voice was that of an old woman. A needle shot out of Akira's finger and entered the space where Toshiro's head had just been. The enraged hiss of a viper chilled Toshiro's blood, until the hiss cut off when the needle took it through the eye.

As Toshiro stood up, recovering from his brush with death, Akira split open. Arms, legs, torso – all detached and hovered in the air, then rearranged into a horrifying mishmash of limbs. Standing where Akira had been was a wizened, tiny woman.

"Focus, you blithering idiot!" she snapped. "Leaving yourself open like that… what were you thinking?"

"E- Elder Chiyo?" Toshiro stammered, feeling poleaxed. Then his overtaxed brain put together the clues and came to a horrifying conclusion. "You… you killed him! You made my best friend into a puppet!"

Elder Chiyo snorted contemptuously. "Where did you get that stupid notion? I merely modeled a puppet after him when I received word that Sasori of the Red Sands received safe passage in Konoha. He wasn't happy to stay behind when the army marched, but I didn't give him much choice. He's back in Suna, in charge of coordinating the defense if our army is defeated and Konoha marches on our village."

Toshiro felt weak with relief. "Oh…"

"I meant to kill my treacherous grandson myself," Elder Chiyo muttered grumpily, "but it seems you fools need someone to take charge. I'm too old for this nonsense, but I suppose I'm all we've got."

Elder Chiyo twitched her fingers, which were attached to chakra strings that disappeared underground. Soon afterward, the remaining vipers appeared all at once, fleeing from the subterranean puppet that hunted them through their own turf. Nine other puppets appeared in a giant puff of smoke, a startling collection of misshapen terrors all controlled by Elder Chiyo.

In seconds, the vipers were destroyed, and the shell-shocked Suna army was able to take to the trees to make short work of the Oto Summoners.

"To me!" Elder Chiyo shouted, her reedy voice somehow carrying across the battlefield. "We are betrayed! Oto's forces will be on us any moment!"

Toshiro hefted another throwing spear and prepared to search for his immediate superior for new orders. Chiyo stopped him, however, with an imperious wave of her hand.

"Where are you going? From the looks of things, you're one of the few left with any skills. Consider yourself promoted to jounin. You'll relay my orders to the captains, since Tamaji and his ambitious cronies are all dead."

Toshiro could only bow his head, appalled at the ease with which his lifelong avoidance of promotion had been circumvented. _At least Akira is safe. How he'll laugh… he always told me I should try for jounin._

For the moment there were no foes in the clearing, and the Suna shinobi let out a cry of victory. It cut off soon enough, however, when an answering chorus of bloodthirsty cries arose, coming from the direction of the Otogakure camp.

"The enemy is coming!" Elder Chiyo cried, her puppet brigade mustering in the air above her. "We are outnumbered, but not outmatched. Remember you are shinobi of Suna, forged in the desert heat and bred for battle!"

This time their war cry seemed to shake the very earth, as the unbroken core of the Suna army gathered themselves in a tight formation centered around Elder Chiyo, her puppets, and Toshiro.

The first sign of the Oto army was the pink crystal that came creeping through the forest like a living thing. It bent tree trunks aside and snapped them like matchsticks, clearing a path with irresistible power. Hundreds of shadowy forms appeared behind the crystal wave, led by a man and a woman.

The woman was clearly controlling the crystal, as she was flying on a dragon made entirely from the pink substance. The man next to her was something out of a nightmare – half of his body was normal, but the other half writhed and changed before Toshiro's eyes. He was a half-human, half-monster hybrid, and his eyes were devoid of any human feeling whatsoever.

"Leave the small fry to the others," Elder Chiyo told Toshiro. "You take the creepy one. I'll take the crystal bitch."

Toshiro checked the bundle of throwing spears on his back, and the poisoned senbon he kept in a pouch on his hip. "You're sure you don't want to promote someone else? I'm not really the command type, you know."

Elder Chiyo spared him a long glance, lip curled with admirable scorn. "I'm supposed to be retired, remember? You're not getting any sympathy from me."

oOoOo

_- Twenty minutes before the Battle of the Gate -_

Sasuke was starting to feel cheated. He'd been gearing up for the main event, when Zabuza would try to assassinate Madara and he would signal Itachi to begin the invasion. Then some random girl almost killed the Hokage's heir, and the next thing he knew, Kiri had been upstaged by a completely different set of rebels!

That could have been a good thing, technically speaking, if it didn't seem that Madara had been planning for this all along. Now the ambushers were ambushed, and everywhere the stands were filled with Sealed shinobi dying a painful death. Sasuke was not following the details of the various backstabbings, but he knew that Kiri and Sandstorm were against Madara, and basically everyone else was bad. That seemed to be all he needed to know.

Well, that and the fact that the situation looked pretty bleak. Sandstorm was strong, and the two old shinobi leading them were probably even stronger, but Sasuke had read his Bingo Book. Madara's allies included some of the continent's most fearsome missing-nin… and that was only the group from Ame. Sasuke didn't know how many shinobi this Orochimaru commanded, but if they were about as strong as Suna's forces, the invaders were in trouble.

"We should help them," Suigetsu urged his captain, just as Madara began to make his announcement to the stands. "We know we're on the same side, and they need allies they can trust."

"Wait for Zabuza," Sasuke said confidently, while Haku only nodded. "He'll make his move soon. We'll take our cue from him."

When Madara finished delivering his ultimatum, the stadium became a flurry of movement. Uchiha officers who had hung back now began to gather, and the Sealed shinobi not afflicted by crippling pain made their choices. Some, a select few, threw themselves in doomed attacks at the Uchiha, but many of them were cut down – some even by their comrades. The other shinobi, those that chose to side with Madara, looked to the Uchiha officers for orders.

Meanwhile, civilians and shinobi from neutral nations made their way to the exits as fast as possible, trampling each other in their haste to get away from the battleground.

Down in the arena, the two sides visibly tensed, wondering who would attack first. Sasuke held his breath, and he knew he wasn't the only one. There was enough firepower in the arena to level half the village, let alone one relatively small stadium. He pitied the civilians trying to run away – it was possible there wasn't anywhere in the village that could be considered safe.

At that moment, when the tension seemed impossible to sustain any longer, Zabuza made his move. The Mizukage appeared in the stadium, followed an instant later by Mei. Zabuza had unwrapped the bandages around the lower half of his face, and he bared his filed teeth in a wicked smile.

"You're having a party and you forgot to invite me? How rude. Don't you think that's rude, Mei?"

Mei shrugged with languid grace. "I don't know, Zabuza. Maybe they know you're a mean drunk."

"Everyone's a critic."

Sasuke signaled his teammates while his superiors were still bantering and kicked off of the balcony, arriving a heartbeat later between Zabuza and Madara. He held Kiba in its conjoined form, ready to wield. Haku and Suigetsu took up positions two paces from his left and right side, respectively.

"I advise you not to get involved in this, Mizukage-sama," Madara said, his voice a warning growl. "You may think to profit from this situation, but I will treat you as my enemy if you do not leave this place immediately."

Zabuza breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. "So you _don't_ know everything… thank Kami. From that trick you pulled on Suna, I half-expected you to have another ambush set up for us. Seems _our_ invasion hasn't been compromised, at least."

"_Your_ invasion?!" Jiraiya and Tsunade exclaimed at the same time.

Zabuza shook his head and gave a disappointed sigh. "Yeah… you know, Jiraiya, it seems to me you could have done a better job picking allies. How much better if _we_ had teamed up, instead of you and that scaly excuse for a shinobi?"

Even Orochimaru looked surprised to hear Zabuza declare Kiri's intention to fight Konoha. Zabuza shrugged. "Oh, well… no use crying over spilled blood, is there?"

Suigetsu nudged Sasuke. "Does he mean spilled milk?"

"No."

Madara spoke up suddenly, as Jiraiya was opening his mouth. "I see… I thought your nation would be too weak for a full invasion less than two years after a rebellion of your own. I was wrong. You have my congratulations on what must have been a very difficult initiative."

"Oh, it wasn't as bad as all that," Zabuza said calmly. "We had deep resources to draw on, and some _very_ inspirational military leaders. In fact, one of them is waiting for the signal to attack… Sasuke, care to help out?"

"Of course." Sasuke tore off his Hunter nin mask and cast it aside.

_I will never wear a mask again._

Win or lose, live or die, it would be as himself: Uchiha Sasuke. He raised Kiba overhead and sent two lightning bolts into the air. It seemed that Madara hadn't prepared specifically for the Kiri invasion, but Sasuke didn't want to take chances. Konoha's defenses were stronger than they had anticipated, and Itachi needed to be aware of that.

"Sasuke…" Madara rumbled. "So you and your brother were in Kiri. I had my suspicions after you disappeared in Wave, but I couldn't be sure."

The news that Madara's agents had managed to track him to Wave Country unnerved Sasuke, but he tried to keep it from showing. "We've returned to make you pay for your crimes," he said. He tried to sound confident, though he knew he couldn't entirely erase the fear that Madara's presence inspired.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama." This came from Pain, who approached Madara respectfully as the man stared at Sasuke as if he were an insect.

Madara craned his neck to look at the leader of Ame. "Yes?"

"I don't believe you need any help here. Besides, if I were to use my techniques in your defense, they would certainly harm your allies as much as your enemies, and might threaten the integrity of the barrier around your son. Do I have your permission to take my people elsewhere?"

"Good thinking," Madara replied immediately. "Tell General Fugaku to take the strongest Military Officers and head for the outer walls. He is to engage any and all Kiri forces he encounters. As for you and your men… do as you see fit. You are allies, not subordinates."

Pain paused, as if surprised by Madara's lenience. "Very well. After relaying your orders to the general, I will reinforce the Otogakure army against Suna's forces. I have a hunch that, despite their numerical advantage, Oto will need the most help."

From his position a few meters away, Orochimaru gave a short, ugly laugh. "You're right about that. There are only a few strong fighters in my group of misfits, and most of them are here in the arena with me. Do whatever you have to, Pain. If your techniques kill a lot of my henchmen, well… I can always find more like them."

With his sharingan active, Sasuke could see Kimimaro give an involuntary flinch, and begin to look towards Orochimaru before reverting his gaze. Aside from Madara and perhaps the girl with the byakugan, Sasuke didn't think anyone else had sharp enough perception to catch the motion.

Pain disappeared a second later, and his entourage left a series of after-images as they followed him.

"Jiraiya!" exclaimed one of the Sandstorm jounin. "What should we do?"

"We can't let Pain engage the Suna army," Jiraiya said. "They're going to have enough on their hands against Oto, especially since our enemies have the element of surprise. Go, Kakashi. Take Sandstorm and stop Pain and his men – no matter what. We cannot afford to fail."

Sandstorm sprang into motion. Orochimaru moved as if to interfere, but Madara stopped him with one raised hand. "Let them go. Pain has yet to prove his worth in this alliance. If he can't take care of a few brats and their baby-sitters, then he's of no use to me."

"What are your orders for me, Hokage-sama?" Orochimaru asked, his voice oily and obsequious.

"Kill your former teammates."

Orochimaru bowed low. "Of course."

He turned to Jiraiya and Tsunade and offered them the same bow, this time full of mockery. "Would you care to follow me to your deaths? I'd prefer not to fight in this arena, as I'm sure the Hokage won't care who gets in his way when he's protecting his son. We'll be waiting for you… ah, see that lovely tiled roof? Yes, I believe that's the perfect place to kill you."

Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto left the arena, ascending to the sloping, red-tiled roof above the Kage's Observation Box.

Now Madara was the only Konoha shinobi in the arena – apart from Naruto, Sasuke amended, but he hardly counted. "Does he really expect us to go after him?" Jiraiya snorted. "Our enemy is right here."

But Tsunade inched closer to him, and spoke in a voice too low for any but Jiraiya to make out. His face looked like a thundercloud, but eventually he nodded.

"You're right - there's no other choice. But if Shizune isn't fast enough… they'll all die."

"She'll be fast enough." Tsunade turned to Zabuza and Mei, eyes flashing with deadly purpose. "Do you think you two can hold off Madara for a while? Jiraiya and I need to save our shinobi."

Zabuza looked once more at the arena, where dozens of Konoha shinobi were locked in their drawn-out death throes. "Isn't it too late?"

"It may be," Tsunade said grimly. "But we haven't tried everything yet. And as long as Orochimaru lives, he'll get in the way of our plans. So we'll take care of him while trying to save as many of the Sealed shinobi as we can. That is, if you think you can take Madara."

"That was our plan all along," Zabuza said nonchalantly. "This lovely lady and I were supposed to attack Madara, kill him if we could, and otherwise inconvenience him until the cavalry arrives. We never expected any help, and it seems you have an important task of your own. Go to it, and give that snake-eyed bastard a kunai in the neck from me."

Jiraiya and Tsunade were gone almost before Zabuza finished speaking, bolting off to meet Orochimaru's challenge. Shizune still carried a comatose Hinata, and Sasuke saw out of the corner of his eye that Shizune's right hand was wreathed in green chakra and holding steady above Hinata's forehead.

_And what is SHE doing, I wonder?_

"Is it bravery that allows you to face me," Madara asked Zabuza, "or is it ignorance? Are you truly foolish enough to challenge me in open battle, even with your concubine to help you?"

"_Concubine?!_" Mei demanded, wreathing one hand in lava and the other in poison gas. "You senile old bat… killing you will be my genuine pleasure."

Zabuza put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and gave him in the opposite direction of Madara and the violet barrier. "You've hung around long enough, kid. The plan hasn't changed. Take your teammates and collect the rest of the Kiri genin at the rendezvous point. Then meet your brother at the walls. If you're lucky, you can catch the Uchiha policemen from behind. Good luck, punk."

"You too, asshole."

Sasuke spared one last look over his shoulder as he sped away from the arena. Standing at the foot of the immense barrier, looking tiny against the immense construct, were a Kage and a Kage's daughter, facing a living legend. Would they be all right on their own?

_They have to be._

oOoOo

It was funny, Naruto reflected, how one's dearest hopes often turned out to be one's worst nightmares. His current predicament was the perfect example. For weeks leading up to the tournament, Naruto had worked to erode Kabuto's seal little by little, all for the purpose of regaining access to his mindscape and the power within. Now Naruto was in his mindscape… and he couldn't get out!

_I guess I should be careful what I wish for._

Naruto had never seen this particular part of his mindscape before, which wasn't all that strange. Humans used only a portion of their brains, after all, and one's deepest desires were often hidden from the conscious mind. What _was_ strange, was that Naruto was conscious and in control of his thoughts, yet incapable of molding his mindscape to his will.

The levels of his mind only seemed to be real places – he could shape or mold them at will, with training and discipline. Yet Naruto had been trying to exert control over his mindscape ever since Hinata's attack had separated him from reality, sending his mind reeling inward.

_Words will be had, _Naruto promised himself, _just as soon as I get out of this cell._

For that was where he was. Rock walls surrounded him on three sides, and in front were thick metal bars that he couldn't budge no matter how he tried.

"You deserve everything you get," Naruto said, his voice echoing oddly in the cramped cell. "Dropping your guard just because it's a girl you- Kami, she didn't even stab you in the back! Stupid fool…"

"**Talking to yourself again?**"

The voice, sinister and amused, came from outside the cell. As Naruto focused, the cloudy whiteness beyond the bars of his prison cell dissipated. He saw a narrow corridor with a low ceiling, constructed of the same dark stone of his cell. Across the corridor was another cell.

Try as he might, Naruto couldn't quite see into the other cell – it was shrouded in shadow. But he had no problem identifying the reddish-orange chakra bubbling and frothing out of the cell and spreading across the stone floor.

_The cell has nine bars, _Naruto realized a second later. Etched into the stone above the bars was a glowing seal, an exact copy of the seal that had, until recently, been inscribed on Naruto's stomach. This seal glowed weakly, intermittently, like a torch threatened by a heavy wind.

One of the bars bent outward, as if pressed by an tremendous but invisible force. It broke free and clattered across the stone floor, crashing into the bars of Naruto's own cell with an ear-splitting _clang_. A silhouette became visible in the other cell. It was patch of darkness visible against the lesser darkness around it, and Naruto could just make out the outline of nine waving tails.

Acting on instinct, Naruto tried to activate his Mangekyou sharingan and suppress the Fox with its power. Nothing happened. It was like flicking a switch to a burned-out bulb.

"**How does it feel to be trapped, Host?**" the Kyuubi's voice rattled the bars of Naruto's cell. "**To be separated from your friends? To be hopeless to decide your own fate?**"

"It's not very nice," Naruto said cautiously. He was just saying whatever came into his head, playing for time as he tried to make sense of the situation. From what he remembered of Hinata's last attack, he had a _very_ limited amount of time before he bled out. Maybe a medic nin could save his life, but that didn't solve the problem of the ruptured seal.

_That's why the Kyuubi's cell is breaking down – the integrity of the lock on its prison is destroyed._

But if the Kyuubi could break out of its prison, pushing past the remnants of the seal, then Naruto could free himself as well.

_This prison is my mind's approximation of Kabuto's seal, _Naruto realized, _and it's keeping my chakra from interacting with the Kyuubi's._

Indeed, the red chakra boiling from the Kyuubi's cell did not pass through the bars trapping Naruto. That wasn't much comfort, though, because the chakra could and did flood down the corridor in both directions, out of Naruto's sight.

_That's my mind!_

The more the Kyuubi's chakra spread, the less chance Naruto had of surviving. And of course, once the Kyuubi broke free from the last vestiges of its seal – which it would do very soon – it would be unleashed on an arena full of innocents. Naruto was _not_ about to let that happen.

Naruto focused his will once again, and hit the bars of his cell with all his might. Forget wearing down Kabuto's seal little by little – Naruto was going to throw everything he had at it, and damn the consequences.

An idea occurred to Naruto then, looking at the hissing chakra coming from the Kyuubi's cell. He gathered his own chakra, as much as he could, and forced it out of himself. He breathed a sigh of relief as it became a veritable flood, flowing out of his cell through the bars.

His blue chakra and the Kyuubi's red acted like oil and water, never mixing, except that the Fox's chakra hissed and steamed whenever it encountered his.

Naruto punched the leftmost bar of his cell again, wincing involuntarily as his fist began to bleed.

_Go away, _he told the pain. _You're an illusion. This is my mind._

He knew that the physical pain from punching the bars in his cell most likely corresponded to damage to his mind and chakra system from forcibly attacking Kabuto's seal, but that was not something he needed to worry about right now. One more punch, and although Naruto's hand felt like it was broken, one bar of his cell shattered.

"**So it's a competition, then,**" came the Kyuubi's amused voice. "**I will not be denied my freedom again!**"

"I'm very disappointed in you!" Naruto shouted, even as he pumped more chakra into the stone corridor and switched his attention to the next metal bar. "If I'd known you were going to be like this, I would never have fed you all that chakra! Remember Hidan? I didn't have to do that, you know!"

"**You think I should be grateful that you used MY power to destroy your enemies? Think again, my Host.**"

After that they both fell silent. There seemed nothing more left to say. The Kyuubi had freedom in sight, and Naruto knew only one way to stop it from going on a rampage. He had to free himself first.

The competition seemed to take hours, even though Naruto knew that in the real world it was probably a matter of minutes. The Kyuubi broke bar after bar of his cell, and with each one the amount of chakra he could force into Naruto's mindscape increased.

It wasn't a question of destroying enough bars to fit through them, Naruto knew. He simply had to destroy all of his own cell bars – thereby destroying Kabuto's seal – before the Kyuubi did. It was a question of how much chakra each could bring to bear, and how quickly.

But as the hours stretched on, it seemed that the Kyuubi was winning. When he broke the seventh bar of his cell, Naruto had only destroyed five. Naruto redoubled his efforts, switching to kicks after both of his fists became useless, mangled messes of broken bone. He wondered what that meant in terms of damage once he returned to the real world – was he damaging his ability to mold chakra? Perhaps his brain? It was not a question he much wanted to find the answer to, but it hovered at the edge of his consciousness no matter how much he tried to avoid it.

Naruto's despair increased in proportion with the Kyuubi's triumph, as the eighth bar buckled and strained. When it broke, the Kyuubi gave a roar of triumph in anticipation of the final bar. Naruto poured his rage and frustration into a donkey kick that ripped the sixth bar of his cell away from its stone anchor.

The bar flew across the corridor, and Naruto was seized by the petty hope that it would hit the Kyuubi in the nose. Instead, there was a flash of light, and then a hand snatched the bar out of the air.

A man stood in the corridor, equidistant between Naruto's cell and the Kyuubi's. Though red and blue chakra continued to struggle for dominance, none touched him – instead, it swirled around his feet in a controlled whirlpool.

This man wore the flak jacket of a Konoha jounin, and though he didn't appear very old, his eyes contained the wisdom and grief of many years. He had sun-blond hair the same shade as Naruto's own, and when he smiled, it completely transformed his face. For some reason he looked familiar, though Naruto could not say how.

The man looked down at the cell bar in his hand, and laughed. His laughter, full and carefree, drew an angry snarl from the Kyuubi.

"Quiet, you," the man said, flapping a hand vaguely over his shoulder. "I'll deal with you in a minute."

To Naruto's amazement, the Kyuubi subsided. Even the flow of red chakra from between the bars seemed to recede.

The blond man looked up at Naruto. His smile was half encouragement and half wonder, and Naruto could not think how to respond.

"Who are you?"

Naruto's breath caught when he saw a tear trace a solitary path down the older man's cheek.

"Oh, my brave Naruto. I'm Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of Konoha… and your father. What's left of him, at least."

With those words came another flash of light that made Naruto blink, and when he opened his eyes the cell was gone. The Kyuubi was gone too, as well as the stone corridor of his mindscape.

There was only formless whiteness, and across from him, the man who claimed to be his father.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: **I'm back, baby! It feels great to finish up a chapter after so long, though this one fought back harder than most. There's some action, some heartbreak, and some answers coming your way, as Konoha is embroiled in a war with every side hoping to come out on top.

Before I continue, I'd just like to thank all of you for the support. 1,000 people have this story on alerts, almost as many have it in their favorites, and the reviews you've left over the years are a constant source of inspiration when my muse just wants to hide in a cave. You guys deserve to see this story reach the end, and I'm going to deliver with the best that's in me.

Finally, I read the American play All My Sons a month or so ago, and was struck by the father-son relationship between Joe and Chris. It reads a lot like what I had envisioned for the dynamic between Madara and Naruto, with their different takes on morality. If you have some free time, I recommend picking up All My Sons – it'll break your heart, but in a good way. Whether you're an American entrepreneur or a badass shinobi or anything else, nothing brings you depths of joy _or_ grief like family.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Chapter 45**

**Naruto**

Naruto could not tear his eyes away from Minato's face. That blond hair, precisely the same shade as Naruto's own; the strong jaw, denoting a man who was firm in his convictions; those blue eyes, conveying a depth of sympathy that made Naruto shiver.

"My son…" Minato murmured. "I am so happy to see you again – and sorry too, more sorry than I can say, for what I did to you."

"So you did choose me to be the Kyuubi's vessel…" Naruto whispered. The swirling whiteness around him obscured his surroundings, but was somehow soothing rather than threatening. It allowed him to give all his attention to the father he'd never met, the man he'd given up hope of ever knowing.

Minato let a few seconds pass, waiting for Naruto to say more. But Naruto's mind was too full of warring thoughts for him to speak.

"I did," Minato admitted. "I designed the seal so that if you ever manifested eight tails, I would appear before you as a fail-safe. Aren't you going to ask me why I did it? Rail at me? Take a swing? Kami knows I deserve it for what I did to you."

"…No," Naruto replied. He knew that he _should_ be angry, or rather he knew that if he'd learned this years ago, before his training, before he'd met the friends he would gladly defend with his life, he would have been angry. Now he only felt sorrow, tinged with relief that Minato had truly loved him. _That_ much was obvious, from the raw emotion in his father's eyes.

"I think I know why you did it," Naruto continued. "You would have taken the fox yourself if you could have, but that wasn't an option. You already knew you were going to die. But you needed someone else to keep the Kyuubi locked away. So you chose me, your own son. Because you thought I'd be strong enough. …Am I right?"

Minato beamed at him. "Say rather, I hoped you would be. I hoped, with all my heart, that you would inherit the Will of Fire and defend the village once your mother and I were gone. In time, I thought, the half of the Kyuubi's chakra that I sealed within you might even help you. Your mother was the jinchuuriki before you, you see."

"I think I do…" Naruto said, his eyes beginning to tear up. "I'm glad you chose me, for what it's worth. There have been times when my friends would have died without the strength of the Kyuubi to call on. But I didn't always think this way – if Madara had never adopted me, I might never have gained the strength and determination to protect my friends."

At the mention of Madara's name Minato's features transformed into a snarl. So abrupt was the transition, so instinctive was the rage on his father's face, that Naruto stumbled backwards. "Wh- what is it?" he stammered.

"Madara adopted you?!" Minato demanded. "When? Tell me everything – we don't have much time!"

Still reeling, Naruto told Minato the story of his life – as quickly as possible, presenting the information like a mission briefing. He sketched his early life, living like a wild thing in the streets of Konoha. He shared the official story of the Night of Reclamation, when the Uchiha clan learned of the Third Hokage's treachery and struck first. He recounted his first meeting with Madara, all those years ago by the swings outside the Konoha Academy, and the years that followed. Growing in strength, meeting new friends, and coming to love Madara and the Uchiha clan as the family that gave him a home.

Through all of this, Minato made an effort to control his reactions. Nevertheless, with each sentence his brow darkened slightly and Naruto could see that he was furious.

"What's wrong?" he asked finally. "Why do you seem to hate Madara so much? He… he's been a good father to me. I know you would have been, too – I'm not blaming you, it's just-"

"Naruto," Minato broke in gravely. "Madara was the one who sent the Kyuubi to ravage Konoha. He's the reason so many died – he's the reason you grew up without a family."

It was as if the bottom dropped out from under Naruto's world. His legs buckled. "Wh-what?" he asked, his voice cracking.

The corners of Minato's eyes tightened. "The night the Kyuubi attacked, I fought a masked shinobi," he recounted. "He was good – better than good. He seemed to anticipate my every move, dodging even my fastest attacks. I deduced, from the techniques he used, that he must be Uchiha Madara. A man once presumed dead, but clearly very much alive and bent on vengeance. I drove him away in the end, but I knew he would be back. It was my hope that by the time he returned, the shinobi of Konoha would be strong enough to face him. I see you care deeply for this man – but I'm telling you the truth."

Naruto had felt agony before. But he had never suffered like this. His mind was a maelstrom, torn apart by thoughts that shrieked in furious circles and trapped him within.

Naruto knew that Madara was no saint. He had never pretended to be. The decision to kill the Third Hokage, to use the Seal to control the other shinobi – these had been cruel and calculated decisions. But Naruto had always believed that Madara had done these things to protect the Uchiha. He truly believed that Madara would change the way the village worked, as long as Naruto could demonstrate that cooperation and friendship were stronger than fear.

But now Minato had shattered everything he had believed about the man who'd raised him, cared for him, and even loved him. And Naruto didn't think Minato was lying. Echoes of Itachi's words came back to Naruto, the accusations that had haunted him so after the mission to the Land of Waves.

_If this is true… what do I do now?_

But strangely the answer was already there, unshakable and clear as transparent glass. It didn't feel like a sudden realization, but rather something that had been growing for some time, developing in the deepest recesses of his subconscious mind.

_I'll do what I've been trying to do all this time – create a brighter future for Konoha. A future where no one owns another and hatred has no place. No matter what it costs me. No matter who stands in my way._

A kind of calm stole over Naruto. He stopped trembling and his fists unclenched. He felt as if he had been wearing a blindfold for his entire, and only just had it removed. He knew what he had to do. Naruto met his father's gaze once again.

"Can you remove the seal that's currently keeping me from accessing the Kyuubi's chakra? I almost destroyed it when you showed up, but it's still limiting what I can do."

Minato was surprised. He looked like he still wanted to talk about Madara, but Naruto had a lot he needed to do, and he was still dying. There was no time for useless talk.

"Can you or can't you?" Naruto snapped. "I'm sorry, sir, but I won't survive unless I can exercise control over the Kyuubi's chakra."

Minato's face fell when Naruto called him "sir," but Naruto hoped he would understand. It had been almost sixteen years, and this was the first time they'd ever talked. Minato may have been his father, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"Why destroy that seal instead of recreating the seal on your stomach?" Minato asked. "That was the original purpose of including this shadow of my former self within you – to rebuild the seal should it ever fail."

"I have my reasons," Naruto replied. "Believe me, this will work just as well. With Kabuto's seal gone, I can tap into my Mangekyou sharingan. I can heal myself with the Kyuubi's chakra and return to the outside world. There's… a lot to do."

Minato nodded soberly. "I imagine there would be. Very well. I saw the seal you mentioned when I first materialized. It has been degraded so much that little remains to destroy. In fact, with the chakra that remains to me, I can give you something else and still have enough power left to free you before I fade. Do you mind?"

"Something else? What do you mean?"

Minato's crooked smile spoke of sadness deep enough to drown his soul. "An inheritance, of sorts. Three gifts, if you will receive them. The final expression of a useless father's love."

Now Naruto was unable to keep back his tears. "Not useless – never useless. You didn't make this world the way it is, and I believe you never stopped trying to make it better. If there's something you want to give me... I would be honored to receive it."

Minato nodded decisively, his own eyes suspiciously bright. "Then here is my first gift." He held out his hand, ruffling Naruto's hair. Naruto felt a blaze of power rushing through him, centering behind his eyes. There was a flash of pain, then Naruto felt much the same as he had before.

"There," Minato said with satisfaction. "Your eyes are now as blue as the day you were born. I haven't harmed your Mangekyou, merely altered their resting state. I see that you are an Uchiha now, and nothing I can do will change that. But remember that you are also an Uzumaki… and a Namikaze. These too are facets of your identity, sources of strength in hard times. Always remember that, Naruto."

Naruto blinked the moisture from his new-old eyes. "Thanks," he whispered. "I will."

"Now for the final two gifts," Minato said. "How much do you know about Shape and Nature manipulation? And how's your fuuinjutsu?"

"I can use Water and Wind chakra," Naruto said, scratching his nose self-consciously. "But I only know the theory behind Shape manipulation. I was going to start once I was officially a chuunin. The last few years I've spent honing my control over the Mangekyou and the Kyuubi's chakra, so I don't know much fuuinjutsu at all."

Minato nodded in understanding. "That makes sense, considering your unique combination of abilities. It shouldn't be a problem, since you'll only be imitating me rather than gaining a foundation." He broke off with a laugh that was tinged with bitterness.

"It's strange – I would never be able to teach you these techniques if you didn't have the sharingan. But if you can follow the chakra flow closely enough and manage to replicate it, then I can leave you with two techniques that took me years to develop. What a strange twist of fate… I can only entrust you with my legacy because of a gift from the man responsible for my death. Whatever else, the universe loves irony."

"Let's get started," Naruto said sadly, activating his sharingan. "I'm ready."

"What's the fastest you've ever learned an advanced technique?" Minato asked.

"Two hours, give or take. I taught myself the Shadow Clone jutsu when I was twelve."

This time Minato's grin was genuine, filled with surprise and pride that warmed Naruto in spite of the hard truths he knew waited once he returned to reality. "You're my son, all right! …But even with time flowing more slowly in this level of your mindscape, you'll have to do better. Think you can?"

Naruto met Minato's grin with one of his own. "Bring it on!"

oOoOo

**Zabuza**

There were only three figures still moving in Konoha's Arena. Zabuza and Mei on one side, and Madara on the other. Naruto still spouted chakra tails, six that Zabuza could see, though he could have been mistaken since Naruto was obscured by the double protection of Madara's Susanoo and the violet barrier sustained by Orochimaru's bodyguards.

Zabuza was willing to admit that Madara cut an imposing figure. He wore what was essentially a Konoha Military Police uniform, with one difference. The stylized symbol of the Uchiha clan was surrounded by a larger version of Konoha's leaf symbol. It was a not-so-subtle way of saying, _We are the heart of the village_.

Even that one-eyed orange mask managed to be intimidating rather than silly, which was rather impressive. Zabuza didn't think there were many shinobi who could pull that off. The overwhelming killing intent that Madara generated probably had something to do with it.

"I must admit to some curiosity," Madara addressed Zabuza. "Your village is stable for the first time in generations. Why risk all that progress on a desperate offensive?"

Zabuza bared his filed teeth in a challenging grin. "First, I don't consider this a gamble. Second, this is Itachi's party. I'm just along for the ride."

"And of course you have only Itachi's word that claims I am a tyrant. Did Itachi have the audacity to claim that my actions were unwarranted? That Shimura Danzou never plotted the deaths of all my clan, my family?"

"Sure, he told me you were a real bad guy," Zabuza said with a careless shrug. "Said you pushed old ladies into puddles and kicked puppies, too. Either way, it doesn't make much difference to me. You could be the patron saint of charity and sugarplums, and I'd still send you to meet the Reaper. My debt to Itachi is in the nature of a business transaction, see? He makes my rebellion possible, I commit my forces to his invasion. Nothing personal – that was just the deal I made."

Madara nodded judiciously. "At least you do not have the gall to pretend this is justice. Itachi wants vengeance for a wrong that exists only in his diseased mind."

Mei took an involuntary step forward and burst in angrily. "Bullshit! You dried-up hypocritical old stick – you rule for eight years through slavery, Sealing every shinobi not of your own clan, and then claim you're not a tyrant?! Ha! Your own shinobi are _dying_ as we speak, and it was you who sentenced them to death!"

Madara spread his arms wide. "Did I ask them to rebel today? For that matter, was it I who introduced the Curse Seals to Konoha? I do not hear anyone raising their voices to the Hyuuga, yet they branded their own kin – their own flesh and blood – for _centuries!_ Why am I the evil one, when all I did was what the Hyuuga have been doing all along – and only to protect my clan? You heard my announcement: After this battle, the Curse Seal becomes a thing of the past. How am I then a tyrant?"

"You know, I'm a little confused about why we're focused on the moral high ground here," Zabuza pointed out. "I mean, I killed every genin in my age group, you led a bloody coup d'etat, and Mei played an active role for decades in the subjugation of anyone with a kekkei genkai in Water Country. We've all shed our share of innocent blood… so shouldn't we get on with killing each other?"

Mei scowled at Zabuza. "If I thought you were being serious, I'd kill you right here. Yes, we've done terrible things. But that only makes choosing the right path _more_ important, not less. We have to atone for what we've done by fighting injustice when we find it." She leveled an accusing finger at Madara. "And we've found it. You don't fool me, you bastard. I lived with a self-justifying megalomaniac my entire life – my father. So I know you, Madara… I know you better than anyone. You'll slaughter anyone who gets in your way and you'll never feel an ounce of regret."

"If you know that," Madara said icily, enunciating each word, "then why are you still _in my WAY?_"

Something about this exchange was striking Zabuza as very odd. He tilted his head, considering. Why was Madara still talking with them? Why hadn't he attacked? Zabuza loved a good bantering session – they gave him time to size up his enemy and plan his strategy – but this one was stretching a bit long in his estimation.

Zabuza considered Madara's position and tried to think like Itachi. So far Madara hadn't moved so much as a foot or initiated an attack, and Zabuza could only think of one reason: Naruto was directly behind him.

_The wily bastard is just playing for time! _Zabuza thought, amazed by the insight. The longer Madara kept them talking, the greater the chance that Naruto would wake up. Zabuza was almost entirely sure – Madara truly cared for his adopted son! So much so that he wasn't even willing to leave him alone when there were two layers of heavy-duty protection all around him.

Madara was playing bodyguard… and no shinobi, no matter how powerful, could fight to their full potential while protecting a vulnerable target.

Zabuza had a mind to test this theory. If he was right, maybe there was a chance he and Mei weren't about to die horrible deaths after all.

"You never had kids of your own, did you?" Zabuza asked. Madara went still as a stone, and Zabuza concealed a triumphant grin.

_I've got you now! I can see straight into that tender heart, you old fogey!_

"And why would that be any of your business?" Madara asked coldly.

"Oh, it isn't," Zabuza replied. "But I just had a kind of… epiphany, I guess you could call it. See, I don't have any kids either. Maybe some day," he added, throwing a lecherous grin at Mei. She snorted rudely, though a small blush tinged her cheeks. "Anyway, when I was younger and stupid, I picked up a kid off the streets. Name of Haku, with a kekkei genkai that I thought for sure would be my ticket to the big leagues."

"I've seen him in action," Madara noted drily. "Ice Release. Quite skilled. _Why_ is this important?"

"It's important 'cause the little monster blindsided me. I raised him to be an unthinking weapon, but I didn't realize for a long time – until about the time I met Itachi, actually – that Haku had become a very special person to me. And I'll bet that's how it went with blondie over there, too." Zabuza pointed at Naruto with his blade, enjoying the way Madara's killing intent flared.

_Oho – I seem to have struck a nerve._

"Yup," Zabuza drawled, enjoying himself immensely. "I'll wager you first picked up Naruto because he was the Nine-Tails' host… not to mention the son of the Fourth Hokage." Zabuza wasn't entirely sure about that last bit, but that's what Itachi thought and Zabuza tended to agree with the genius Uchiha.

"He'd be a nice little prize, wouldn't he?" Zabuza went on. "Steal your former adversary's son and raise him as your own? Classic! The perfect symbol of your victory, not to mention a nice way to consolidate your power, what with the whole Nine-Tails thing. Until one day he became something… more."

"Naruto is my son and heir," Madara replied evenly. "And that's the end of it. If you're not going to attack, you might as well surrender. This nonsense will get you nowhere."

"Ah, but he wasn't always your son, was he?" Zabuza noted shrewdly. "Just a brat you picked up off the street somewhere. But then he looked up at you with those big puppy-dog eyes and your heart went all mushy. Ha!" Zabuza shook with honest mirth. "I'm not laughing _at_ you, understand. Why would I, since I've been through the same thing?"

Madara shifted slightly, altering his center of gravity. "My patience grows thin. Do you want to talk or fight?"

"Well, what I'd really like to do is grab a pint of ale and talk about the joys of surrogate fatherhood… but I guess that's not in the cards. Fine, let's get down to the business of killing each other. Good thing I know your weak point now!"

Zabuza focused the energy building inside of him to the center of his frame. He triggered two simultaneous transformations.

First came the transformation into his winged form, courtesy of the Vampire Bat clan. Zabuza's arms morphed into leathery wings, with clawed hands at the ends still capable of performing jutsu. His skeletal structure changed as well, and two of his filed teeth grew longer into proper fangs. This was the legacy of the Elder's gift – with a focused application of chakra, Zabuza gained the power of flight.

But that was only the beginning. Within his body, constrained by the seal carved into his flesh at the base of his neck, was the Sanbi. Zabuza had spent the last eighteen months getting to know his demon and becoming proficient in the use of its strength. His progress had been particularly rapid thanks to the presence of Itachi and Sasuke, who could use their sharingan to dampen the Sanbi's chakra whenever the Tailed Beast decided to be uncooperative.

"_Partial Transformation: Shell!_" Zabuza growled, reveling in the foreign power that pulsed through his veins. He could feel it when his body grew a protective covering hard enough to withstand the explosions of Itachi's Blastsword. One of the Sanbi's tails materialized as well, so that Zabuza became a fanged humanoid with bat-wings, a turtleshell encasing his torso, and a tail.

Madara's visible eye twitched slightly.

"You're impressed, right?" Zabuza said brightly. "I know, it's pretty cool. I hoped the vampire bat Elder could be persuaded to turn all of my fighters into human-bat hybrids, but it turns out the jutsu he used on me can only be performed once every twenty years. Some jutsu are like that – weird, right? And of course, there's only one Sanbi to go around. Makes me feel all kinds of special. What do you think?"

"You look… utterly ridiculous."

Zabuza sighed. "I've heard that before, actually. I guess a bat-turtle hybrid doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of men."

From her position several feet to Zabuza's left, Mei sighed impatiently. "You're an idiot. Would you hurry up and collapse that barrier already?"

Zabuza bowed mockingly. "Since you ask so nicely… _Tailed Beast Ball!_"

Mixing positive and negative black chakra in the correct proportion was not as simple as it seemed, even for a jinchuuriki with much more experience than Zabuza had. But he had been motivated to excel, even if only to avoid Itachi's dry, superior comments during training.

The Tailed Beast Ball came into being before Zabuza, the incredible density of the attack actually creating a bowl-shaped impression in the ground below. Zabuza sent the attack hurtling towards the barrier, wondering – not for the first time – how something so massive could possibly move so _quickly_.

But Madara was quick as well. "_Mokuton: Ultimate Shield!_"

To Zabuza's astonishment, Madara's arms morphed into living wood that grew to a massive size. A concave shield formed as roots spread beneath the ground and provided support for the chakra-reinforced wood. The Tailed Beast Ball entered the shield even as the wood closed around it, trapping it in a makeshift cocoon.

The explosion tore the shield apart, but not before the chakra-absorbing qualities of Madara's Mokuton shield drained the shockwave of most of its power.

_So that's the power of Wood Release… but how did Madara get ahold of it?!_

A tree sprouted beneath Madara's feet, propelling him upward so that he looked down at Zabuza and Mei. A terrible wrath shone from his uncovered eye.

"You will not harm my son!"

oOoOo

**Hinata**

Hinata woke abruptly, dizzy and disoriented. Shizune's earnest face hovered in her hazy vision. There was a coppery taste in the back of her throat and an odd ringing in her ears.

"Are you alright?" Shizune's voice was faint and distant, almost drowned out by the ringing sounds still reverberating off the inside of Hinata's skull.

Hinata croaked something inaudible in response. She cleared her throat and tried again. "'mfine. What-"

"Hush," Shizune cut her off. She gripped Hinata's shoulders, gently yet firmly. "Listen – do you know me?"

Hinata stared at her in astonishment. "Wha- of course I do. You're Shizune, Tsunade's medical apprentice."

Shizune's face broke into a relieved smile. She looked as though all her prayers had just been answered. "It worked! Oh, I hadn't dared to hope- no!" she broke off, "there's no time. Hinata, what's the last thing you remember?"

It hurt to concentrate. The pain in her head rose to a crescendo, but Hinata pushed past it. The last thing she remembered…

"The Forest!" she burst out. She remembered running through the Forest of Death with Kimimaro and Kabuto. She remembered coming across the trio of Uchiha led by Genji, the boy who had tried to assault her so long ago. Then the rage that built within her, right until the point where she had activated her Curse Seal, and then – nothing. "I remember the Forest of Death, but nothing after. Shizune, what happened to me?"

"You've lost a little more than a month's worth of memories," Shizune said hurriedly. "The Invasion's happening now – right now. Can you stand?"

The ringing in her ears was fading now, and Hinata forced her wavering muscles to obey her will. The sound of explosions nearby galvanized her. With Shizune's help, Hinata managed to gain her feet.

She strained her sore neck to look around, willing her brain to speed up. Down on the arena floor, Madara himself was engaged in a battle with two Kiri shinobi Hinata didn't recognize, though she could tell they were monstrously strong.

But it was the stadium itself that caught Hinata's attention. There were several dozen Konoha shinobi scattered in the stands, all of them hunched over and clutching their heads, faces frozen in expressions of utter agony. A second later Hinata noticed they all had white blobs attached to the back of their necks. She activated her byakugan, and recognized the white blobs as identical, almost foot-long slugs – the miniature, multiplied form of Tsunade's Slug Summon, Katsuyu.

"Those are our comrades," Shizune said. "We were betrayed by Orochimaru. The serum he promised would neutralize Madara's Curse Seal actually replicated your own Seal, only with the transformation process modified to be 100% lethal – those shinobi are dying from a forcible injection of Sage chakra. Katsuyu is slowing the process, but she can't reverse it. They're going to die unless we do something."

Helpless rage coursed through Hinata's being. She had never felt so lost, so useless. "What _can_ we do?" Hinata whispered.

"I just did it," Shizune said matter-of-factly, a hint of pride in her voice. "I neutralized Orochimaru's Seal."

"That's impossible!" Hinata burst out immediately. If medical jutsu had been enough to get rid of a Curse Seal, there would have been no need to go to Orochimaru in the first place.

But it was true – the power of the Curse Seal was gone. She couldn't feel it. No extra chakra to draw on, and no creeping, insidious rage either.

The sense of loss, once she began to focus on it, was overwhelming. It was like she had lost a tooth and her tongue kept exploring the area where it had been – except the gap now was in her brain.

"Kabuto may have caught us off guard, but we weren't completely unprepared," Shizune explained grimly. "During your training period, when the Sannin were training you and keeping an eye on each other, I was researching Orochimaru's Curse Seal on my own. When she gave me the mission, Tsunade told me everything she had figured out so far – the seal was like a parasite, digging into the host's brain. It couldn't be destroyed without doing some damage to the brain. It took me almost the entire eighteen-month period, but I found a way to minimize that damage and funnel it into the brain's memory centers. It wasn't ideal, but it meant I could remove the seal without damaging the victim's IQ or reflexes. At least, that was the theory… Tsunade and I had hoped we wouldn't have to test it until after the Invasion was successful."

Hinata fixed Shizune with a steely glare. The older kunoichi looked exhausted, but her shoulders were set and every inch of her radiated determination. "So you can save them?" Hinata demanded.

"Now that I know my technique works. I can save them if I get to them quick enough… and as long as my chakra holds out."

Hinata sent chakra surging through her body, testing the limits of her strength. She nodded with resignation. She wasn't in anyone's idea of top condition. But it would have to do.

"Then let's go. I'll gather the Sealed shinobi and bring them all to you to heal. Shizune… thank you."

A snide voice reached them from behind. "I wouldn't be thanking anyone just yet."

Hinata and Shizune whirled together to see Kabuto standing at the end of the row of stadium seats. His glasses gleamed, though his usually immaculate hair was singed on one side, and his clothing bore numerous scorch marks.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up a little higher on his nose, smirked, then directed a sarcastic round of applause towards Shizune. "I'm impressed. I didn't think anyone short of Tsunade could find a way to short-circuit my new take on the Curse Seal."

Shizune scoffed. "Your tendency to overestimate yourself and underestimate others is your greatest failure, both as a researcher and a shinobi. And it's your master's flaw, too – Tsunade and Jiraiya together will destroy him."

The sound of Kabuto's laughter sent shivers down Hinata's spine. "You're wrong about my master," Kabuto said. "He has no intention of underestimating his old teammates. That's why he's fighting with Kimimaro… and some help from beyond that grave that _I_ provided."

Kabuto pointed up at the red tiled roof where the Sannin were currently fighting. Hinata's sharp eyes took in the scene with terrible detail.

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood side-by-side, with Jiraiya in Sage Mode and the two Toad Elders perched on his shoulders. But Orochimaru had allies of his own – Kimimaro to his right, and to his left, the revived form of the Fourth Kazekage. A cloud of gold dust swirled over the head of the deceased Kumo leader.

"The Kazekage may have been gullible to the point of idiocy," Kabuto grinned, "but his ability is quite useful in a direct fight. My master will finally deal with his old teammates… while I take out the rest of the trash. Your precious rebels will die, and Oto will join Konoha and Ame to become the only superpower on the continent."

Hinata deliberately stepped in front of Shizune, shaking off the medic-nin's concerned hand. "Go," she said to Shizune, not taking her eyes off Kabuto for a second. "Save as many as you can. I'll take care of Kabuto."

The only response was a puff of air as Shizune used a Body-Flicker jutsu to ascend to a higher level of the stadium. Before Kabuto could follow, Hinata charged at him.

She led with one of Kabuto's own favorite techniques – Shadow Snake Hands. The writhing serpents commanded his full attention, and by the time he activated his chakra scalpels and dispersed the snakes into harmless smoke, Shizune was gone.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," Kabuto said, settling into a ready stance. His hands, sheathed in sickly green light, glowed with deadly promise. "But tell me – how does it feel to know that this is all your doing? Your precious comrades, dying because of what _you_ did?!"

Hinata assumed a jyuuken stance, one hand outstretched, palm facing inward. She could not remember what Kabuto was referring to, though she had the horrible suspicion that he was telling the truth.

But right now that didn't matter. Hinata's mind was clear for the first time in what felt like ages. Guilt, fear, anticipation, all melted away. There was only one path to take. Only the silver-haired murderer standing between her and her people. Life was simple again, and that was a great blessing.

_I do wish I had access to the Curse Seal's power, though… without it, Kabuto's chakra reserves will be higher than mine. I can't let him draw this fight out. I have to attack first, attack fast, without giving him a chance to counter._

Thankfully, Hinata remembered the first half of the Forest of Death. She had seen Kabuto in action – she knew how he thought. And he had always, _always_ underestimated those he thought beneath him.

She would make him rue that mistake, in his last seconds before death pushed him past all regret.

Hinata and Kabuto burst in motion at the same time, beginning a furious battle of augmented taijutsu styles. The most important thing for Hinata was staying out of range of Kabuto's chakra scalpels. Hyuuga she might be, but severed tendons were just as deadly as closed tenketsu.

Hinata relied on the Vacuum Wall Palm technique to force Kabuto away time after time, the advanced technique generating a translucent yet solid wall of force that would shred Kabuto if he lingered too long. She also tried to keep him off balance with powerful kicks that utilized Tsunade's crushing style. Entire rows of chairs were demolished with each attack, filling the air around Hinata with scraps of metal and plastic.

Kabuto in turn recognized the deadly nature of Hinata's techniques, giving way quickly rather than getting caught overextending. He took time again and again to attack her with Shadow Snake Hands, but Hinata wasn't taking any chances – she would immediately begin the Heavenly Rotation technique, shredding Kabuto's snakes and allowing her to switch once more to attack.

It was a fast battle, flashy and destructive, and it was wasting Hinata's chakra at an alarming rate. But it would serve its purpose.

"Brilliant," Kabuto said sarcastically, after Hinata's third Heavenly Rotation technique. "Use up all your chakra defending, why don't you. Haven't you realized you don't have your Curse Seal to rely on anymore? I didn't think you were this stupid."

"And I didn't think you were so dense," Hinata retorted. "Look around you. What do you see?"

Kabuto's eyes tightened. "A whole lot of property damage," he said snidely. "Nothing that changes your fate."

Hinata sighed. "Overconfident to the end. Yes, I've been fighting rashly. I've been smashing things and creating debris. And underneath the wreckage you're standing on, I've been laying down fuuinjutsu tags… _Release!_"

The Sealing tags that Hinata had been laying down covertly now activated. The area where Kabuto was standing, and a great deal more of the portion of the stadium where there fight had raged, was subsumed by a giant swamp.

The thick, squelching muck trapped Kabuto up to his chest.

"_Juuho Soshiken!_" Blue chakra erupted around her fists, shaped into the form of two proud lions, and Hinata flew across the stadium. Her attack shredded Kabuto's upper body, but then he dissolved into mud very similar to the swampy ooze that had trapped him.

_Take the bait… _ Hinata silently urged Kabuto, already putting the mud clone out of her mind. Sure enough, her byakugan allowed her to see the real Kabuto waver into existence three yards behind her. He charged forward, slashing at her unprotected back.

Hinata's one-handed substitution jutsu was just in time, allowing her to trade places with the mud clone she'd created in the beginning of the fight and transformed to hide under debris. Hinata was already in motion as Kabuto slashed through her clone.

Her jyuuken strike landed squarely in his lower back, shredding Kabuto's kidney in a moment. No doubt the organ immediately began to regenerate itself, but that didn't worry Hinata – it was only a first strike.

"You're not the only one who learned to use mud clones from Orochimaru," Hinata snarled. "But there's a lot more I can do that you can't… and you're in range of my divination. _Eight Trigrams: 128 Palms!_"

Hinata's arms pumped like pistons, each strike closing one of Kabuto's tenketsu points. As his body shut down and chakra became blocked up, Kabuto's auto-regenerative ability seemed to slow down. Hinata danced around Kabuto even as she struck him, until it seemed as though every joint in his body was locked stiff.

Hinata's final strike speared Kabuto directly in the forehead, flooding enough chakra to shred his delicate brain tissue like so much paper. With her byakugan active, Hinata witnessed the total shutdown of all chakra flow within Kabuto's body. The light drained from his eyes.

Slowly, impossibly slowly, his glasses fell and disappeared underneath the ooze.

"I don't think you're coming back from that," Hinata said judiciously, holding up Kabuto's corpse, "but I suppose I should make sure."

She rummaged around in her equipment pouch before finding a special Seal, prepared by Jiraiya himself. It covered Kabuto's face, like a partial burial shroud.

Hinata retreated to a safe distance, then activated the seal. A column of fire roared into life, twenty-foot white flames with a blue core. When the fireball died out, Hinata caught a glimpse of charred bones before they sank beneath the summoned ooze.

Hinata spat to the side. "Good riddance."

But the battle between the Sannin was still raging, so Hinata took off for the rooftops. If she could help she would, and if not Tsunade and Jiraiya would have other orders for her.

_It doesn't look good for us, _Hinata thought grimly, _but if I go down, I'll go down fighting._

oOoOo

**Itachi**

The battle raged in front of the smoldering ruins of Konoha's main gate. Now that the Hidden Mist technique had been dispelled, the carnage was plain to see. Veteran Uchiha officers fought in groups of two and three, defending their comrades from Kiri shinobi and vampire bats alike.

Itachi's Hunter nin fought with cold calculation, layering powerful Water Release jutsu one after another. Kanchiki assassins used the houses as cover, peppering their foes with poisoned senbon and whips of water. The vampire bat clan ruled the skies, swooping down to unleash Wind attacks and visual genjutsu before swooping back to safety.

They faced a devastating and coordinated assault, but the Uchiha veterans were not easy prey.

Jounin all, and masters of the sharingan, they reacted quickly and without fear to the attacks of the Hunter nin and the Kanchiki. Many used their sharingan to copy the Water Release techniques targeting them, neutralizing water dragons with their own and crafting whips of water to knock senbon out of the air.

Others scorched the sky with massive fireballs, trying to keep the vampire bats from diving too close. More than one diving warrior was forced to break up and away in order to avoid an ignominious death at the hands of the Uchiha.

The battle raged, and yet it seemed secondary to the standoff in the middle of Konoha's main road – Itachi and Fugaku had yet to begin fighting.

Violence and death whirled around them, yet left them untouched. Whether out of respect, or perhaps fear, none of the shinobi on either side even thought of attacking the enemy commander. A small corner of the world wrapped around father and son, walling out the surrounding madness.

"You were my greatest hope," Fugaku said, his voice low and hoarse. "A genius the likes of which comes only once a generation. You could have been a leader of legends! Instead we're to bow to the Fourth Hokage's soft-hearted brat."

Itachi gazed sadly at his father. Fugaku's hair was iron-gray, and the years had deepened the shadows under his eyes. He looked old, yet terrifying in his single-minded hatred. "Is that what you wanted?" Itachi whispered. "For your line to rule?"

"I wanted us to _survive!_" Fugaku roared. "Our days were numbered. The Fourth pretended he wanted peace, but he didn't make the least effort to stop Danzou and his pet assassins. Survival requires sacrifice, boy. Always has, always will."

Itachi's voice deepened to a growl, his hard-won self-control threatening to crack. "Your self-serving justifications would carry more weight if you hadn't slaughtered my mother – your _wife_ – for a pair of cursed eyes."

"She was a traitor, too," Fugaku grated, eyes feverish. "Always suspected me of having something to do with the death of the Fourth Hokage and his whore… her friendship with that redheaded slut made her forget what she owed to me, to the clan."

"And this is the man I once looked up to?" Itachi said softly. "I see now the only thing you ever loved was power. But shinobi are not meant to rule. Have you forgotten what war did to us? To the world? You saw more of war than I did, yet you would put us back on that path!"

Fugaku leveled his cane at Itachi. "You haven't changed at all… Always obsessed with right and wrong. There's no such thing! There is only us and them. _Family_," said Fugaku, tapping the cane on the ground for emphasis. "The legacy you leave behind. You think the people we've killed had any less blood on their hands? When the Senju clan joined with the Uchiha to found Konoha, what do you think happened to the smaller clans who refused to follow them? They were wiped out! But the dead are no more righteous than the living."

"Just because a thing has always been so does not mean it must remain that way. Human nature is not immutable – it evolves as we do. But you would drag us back into darkness. I will _not_ let you!"

"So," Fugaku declaimed, raising his arms. "You fancy yourself a protector? I will show you the hollowness of your own beliefs. Your precious allies, these insignificant insects, will burn before your eyes. Watch and despair as I call upon _Amaterasu_, the dark fire of the gods!"

Fugaku brought his hands together, cane stuck in the ground at his side, and summoned the black fire that was the legacy of the Mangekyou sharingan. A ring of flames arose around Fugaku and Itachi, rapidly expanding outward.

It avoided only the Uchiha, seeking out anything else that moved upon the battlefield. A few foolish jounin tried to halt the advancing flames with Water Release jutsu. They realized their mistake too late, screaming as the black flames ate through the water and covered them in a deadly wave.

Warier shinobi jumped into the air, where they were rescued by the vampire bats. There were only eighteen vampire bats, however, and not all of them carried survivors. Itachi knew what that meant – his strike force had already been reduced to less than half its original strength.

Fugaku looked like a devil incarnate, cackling in the heart of the black flames. "Do you see, you stupid child?" he demanded. "Do you see the power you denied?"

Itachi closed the distance between them with deliberate steps. "I still deny it… as I deny you. There is no power worth a man's soul. Uchiha Fugaku, I name you traitor, murderer, kinslayer. Your fight is with me and no one else. I will run no longer."

Itachi thought he saw a single tear well up at the corner of his father's eye. It was the color of blood. "You could have been so much more," Fugaku whispered. Then his eyes hardened and his mouth closed in a cold, grim line. The pinwheel shape of his Mangekyou sharingan swirled rapidly as he formed a single hand seal. "_Tsukuyomi._"

The next thing Itachi knew, he was suspended upon a wooden cross. Nails anchored his limbs, and though he knew this was all in his mind, the agony persisted. A blood-red moon hung impossibly low in the sky, bathing Itachi's mindscape in a harsh red glare.

Fugaku stood before Itachi, multiplying before his eyes into two, then four, then more than a dozen copies of himself, stretching around past the edges of Itachi's vision.

When the centermost Fugaku spoke, the others spoke with him. His voice, layered dozens of times over, boomed and echoed in the empty space, even though there was nothing for it to echo off of.

"Masters of this technique can manipulate the flow of time. Mere seconds in the outside world can become hours, even days in here."

A Fugaku clone punctuated the those words by stepping forward and driving a kunai into Itachi's gut. Blood spurted from his lips as he vented an involuntary gasp, but otherwise no sound escaped him.

"I will draw from you every conceivable drop of agony," Fugaku hissed. "Your mind will break long before my patience runs out. You will grovel like a mindless dog, and then I will kill you like one."

"Prolonged torture?" Itachi said, forming the words with effort. His defiant laugh surprised Fugaku, making the older shinobi's eyes widen slightly. "I have lived in anguish for more than a year. Agony took up residence in my nerve centers like an unwanted houseguest. And I… I learned to live with it, to embrace it. Do your worst, Father. I am a dead man already - pain has no power over me."

Three more clones rushed forward, stabbing Itachi repeatedly in his torso, his neck, his limbs. "Don't call me that!" Fugaku and his illusory doubles screamed. "You are no son of mine!"

Itachi laughed bitterly. "Blood cannot be denied so easily… not even when it turns on you." His eyes began to swirl, the tomoe merging into a spinning wheel of red within black. "Father."

Faster his sharingan swirled as Fugaku's clones stabbed Itachi over and over, keening a war cry that held only a faint vestige of humanity.

"_Father._"

Faster still. Fugaku's screams rose to a frenzied pitch.

"_**FATHER!**_"

Spidery cracks formed in the blood-red moon. The fabric of the illusory world seemed to stretch. Then the moon shattered like a broken mirror, breaking Fugaku's hold over Itachi's mind.

Itachi was back in the streets of Konoha, the main gate behind him, with Amaterasu continuing to dance darkly over the cobblestones and among the houses.

Fugaku faced him, eyes bulging obscenely. "Impossible…"

Itachi only laughed. "So the Mangekyou is not infallible after all. I have to admit I wasn't sure." He drew the Blastsword from its sheath slung over his back. "It ends now."

But Fugaku was not finished. He surprised Itachi by manipulating the black flames of Amaterasu, seemingly with nothing more than his will. They surrounded him like a cloak, seeming to taunt Itachi as they flared with malevolent intent.

"Do you like my Blaze Release?" Fugaku screamed. "Once I kill you I will take the eyes from your skull and gain the power of the Eternal Mangekyou. Then Madara will fulfill his promise and teach me the path to eternal life. The Uchiha clan will reign supreme!"

Itachi had no doubt that his father's sanity, which had probably been shaky since his family crumbled, if not before, was well past its breaking point. But that did nothing to change the fact that he was immensely powerful, and was about to consign Itachi to the afterlife without a second thought.

But Itachi had paid very close attention to Amaterasu when Fugaku first sent it against his Hunter nin. The flames were relentless, but they did not kill quickly. The quicker Hunter nin had managed to evade the worst of those flames long enough to escape with the vampire bats, and some had even managed to rid themselves of burning clothing before it reached their flesh.

That meant that if Itachi was fast enough, he could launch one final attack before succumbing to the black flames. One attack would have to be enough.

Fugaku's jaw dropped as Itachi came straight for him, propelling himself with a devastatingly fast Body-Flicker jutsu. Even Shisui, the master of the Body Flicker technique himself, would have been impressed by the speed his former friend and student poured into that technique.

Itachi felt the flames begin to prey on his flesh as he swung the Blastsword forward. Fugaku's face fixed in a bestial snarl as he brought up his steel-tipped cane to parry Itachi's blade. Sword met cane with a crash, and despite Fugaku's advanced age his strength had not lessened in the slightest. The Blastsword halted in midair as father and son strained to gain the advantage.

"_Die!_" Fugaku shrieked, features transformed into an inhuman mask of rage.

Even as Amaterasu continued its deadly work, Itachi activated the ability of the Blastsword. Explosive tags flew from their storage seal in the sword's hilt at Fugaku. The Uchiha general was plastered with explosive tags, from his wooden leg to the insignia on the breast of his Military Police uniform. The final tag plastered itself over Fugaku's open mouth, muffling his voice.

Itachi stared into his father's eyes for a moment that stretched into eternity.

"Goodbye… Father."

The explosive tags detonated. Itachi's vision went white and the world disappeared. A tremendous force propelled him backwards, out of the heart of the black flames of Amaterasu.

He lay in the street, burned and broken, as a few flickering black flames continued to play across his body. Itachi could not feel his hands or feet, and knew that most of his nerve endings had been burned away. He could only imagine what he looked like. He knew that he was dying.

Itachi felt a small weight land on his chest, though vision still eluded him.

"Is he dead?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sevaron's voice was thick and muffled as the little vampire bat tried to hold back tears. "Yeah. He didn't have a prayer once those tags landed on him. Why didn't he dodge? He should have recognized your sword and retreated. Amaterasu would have done his work for him."

Itachi tried to chuckle, then abandoned the attempt when his scorched lungs protests. "I hit him with a genjutsu right after breaking out of Tsukuyomi," he whispered, forcing the words passed withered lips. "I made my Blastsword look like a normal katana. He was too shocked that I actually broke out of his technique to realize, so he thought that all he had to do was parry while Amaterasu finished me off. Father's arrogance always did make him shortsighted…"

Sev was silent for a moment. "At least you- you got him. Right?"

"I did, didn't I." Itachi sighed painfully. "Sev, would you find Sasuke? I want to speak to him before I… before I go. I don't have much time."

"Of course, boss," Sev replied. "I was gonna find him anyway, because our side needs reinforcements. These Uchiha are really giving us hell. I'll bring him straight to you. And boss… it's been a real honor."

"Likewise, Sevaron," Itachi breathed. "You are your father's son, and a worthy warrior. You have my thanks."

He heard the gentle _whoosh_ of air as Sev took to the skies to find Sasuke.

_Come quickly, Sasuke_, Itachi thought. _I fear I must abandon you once more. But this time, I will leave you something to remember me by. Your family's tragic, bloody legacy…_

Itachi's eyelids were seared with fire, blackened and rimmed with tears that blurred his vision. But as Itachi conserved the embers of his life-force, his eyes began to change. The three red tomoe melted and spread like gushing blood within the black orbs of his ravaged eyes, forming an interlocking circular pattern that resembled a pinwheel.

On the brink of death, Itachi still felt the spark of power behind his new eyes.

_So this is the Mangekyou… You may have disowned me, Father, but I received my inheritance from you anyway._

Laughing seemed to set his insides on fire, and there was only enough moisture in Itachi's desiccated body to make an agonizing croaking sound. But Itachi laughed all the same.

oOoOo

**Naruto**

Minato transported Naruto back to the stone corridor where he'd first appeared. They were in Naruto's cell across the way, with Kabuto's Seal still holding. The Kyuubi was still secure as well, though the final bar of its cell was clearly buckling. The demon fox let out an enraged growl, which the pair of blond shinobi ignored.

Naruto grabbed his father in a crushing hug. In a matter of seconds Minato would disappear – they had spent to little time together. It wasn't enough, not after so many years. But it was all they had.

Minato began to fade away, his energy almost spent. His hands flashed through a complicated series of seals, creating a burst of chakra that incinerated the bars on Naruto's cell. At last, for the first time since the Forest of Death, Naruto was unfettered.

"My son," Minato said, voice growing ever fainter. "I am so proud of you. Continue to live by the code you've forged for yourself, no matter what the obstacles in your path. Your mother and I will see you again… though not, I hope, for a good long while."

Naruto was too choked up to respond, but Minato's look said he understood anyway.

After Minato dissolved into nothingness, Naruto wiped his eyes with one soggy sleeve and turned his attention to the Kyuubi.

"So…" Naruto mused. "It's back to the two of us."

He crossed the stone corridor in three strides and ripped the final bar from the Kyuubi's cell. The demon, whose outline was becoming rapidly clearer, cocked his head with measured curiosity.

"**Are you so eager to follow your sire?**" asked the Kyuubi. "**Or are you confident enough in those eyes that you fancy a contest of strength?**"

"Neither," Naruto said, raising his hands in the universal gesture for nonviolence. "I want to talk."

"**By all means, talk. Your pitiful body leaks its life blood as we speak, so I welcome conversation.**"

Naruto snorted. "Well… fine. As long as you're listening. First, I have a question. Who commanded you to attack Konoha over fifteen years ago?"

"**Uchiha Madara**," the Kyuubi replied promptly. "**I believe you know each other.**" Naruto had the distinct impression that the demon was raising an eyebrow sardonically.

"And if I die," Naruto said, who found it extremely weird to be contemplating his death so matter-of-factly, "what would you do when you gained your freedom?"

"**I would revenge myself upon Konoha and the Hokage. I would not stop until he or I died – I will not suffer the indignity of slavery again.**"

Naruto mulled this over for a second. "…Is there anything I can do to get you to drop 'Konoha' from that equation?" he asked.

"**You ask me to forgo my revenge?**" the Kyuubi laughed. "**You, who drew on my power when it suited you and kept me banished to the darkness? I think not. Besides, you are on death's door. What does a walking corpse have to bargain with?**"

Naruto stared up at the towering demon without blinking. "Your best chance at freedom."

"**I don't follow.**"

"What happens if you try to take on Madara alone?" Naruto demanded. "Maybe you kill a few innocent civilians, make a couple craters, but it only ends one way: with you on the wrong end of a Mangekyou smackdown. But if you lend me your chakra to save my life, and if you give me your word that you won't target the shinobi or innocent civilians of Konoha… I will help you kill Madara."

The atmosphere in the stone corridor grew dark and heavy. For the first time Naruto felt the Kyuubi's full attention on him – it was like getting caught in a searchlight that seared your flesh. Naruto couldn't look away, but he held his ground.

"**You would fight with me against the man who took you in? HA! Do you think me an imbecile?**"

"I think you're a creature who deserves freedom, just like any human," Naruto replied soberly. "I've been crusading to remove the Curse Seals on shinobi I consider my comrades, yet I never once questioned keeping you captive. That makes me a hypocrite, and I loathe hypocrites. If I want Konoha to be a haven of freedom, then I have to start by freeing _all_ prisoners – even the slobbery demons with bad breath and an attitude problem."

"**Hmmph,**" the Kyuubi snorted. "**You almost sound as if you believe your own drivel.**"

"If I would make a better world, I must lead by example," Naruto said with a shrug. "No matter what you decide, I am your jailer no more."

"**I will save your life…**" the Kyuubi growled deep in his throat. "**If only because I already know my chances against your adopted sire. We shall see what your promises are worth, boy.**"

"My friends call me Naruto," the blond said cheerfully. He had to be cheerful, or else fall into the darkness that gaped within him, a raw wound that he feared would never heal.

_Father…_

He didn't know if he was calling out for Madara or Minato. But neither answered. Naruto was alone – almost.

"**I am not your friend,**" the Kyuubi rumbled. "And **I will scorch your flesh and use your bones for toothpicks if you double-cross me.**"

"Friend, reluctant ally, pain in the ass... have it your way. The name's still Naruto."

"**Naruto,**" the Kyuubi rumbled. "…**I am Kurama.**"


End file.
